Angels at Midnight
by Mana Midnight
Summary: Sequel to Safekeeping. While Draco's looking for Harry, Harry's looking for himself. DMHP
1. The Beginning is Only That, a Beginning

Disclaimer: Would I be writing this if I owned them? I think not.

A/N: Harry was originally supposed to be a werewolf, but I decided to change that, after a comment one of my glorious readers made, they know who they are, but instead of using their idea(the werewolf one will be a different story entirely) I made up something, hope ya like it. Those teasers still apply, btw.

Note: Sry it took so long to get this out!

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter One**

**The Beginning is Only That, a Beginning**

Draco Malfoy looked up at Hogwarts as they approached, Ronald Weasley and Sirius Black flanked either side of him as the breeze ruffled their cloaks as they ascended the steps to the front doors, which stood open as if expectiong their arrival. The noonday sun lit up the flagstones and warmed the air as it swirled around their ankles. In the distance, Fang, the half-giant's dog, barked and snarled at some imaginery foe while the giant squid sunned itself on the surface of the water. The woodsy smell of the Forbidden Forest surrounded the trio. On a normal day, Draco would bask in the scents and sounds that enfolded him like these did. He would curl up in bed with a soundly sleeping Harry.

Except that said raven haired boy was the reason that they were on the front steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Yesterday Harry had panicked, or overeacted, and had disappeared with Hermione Granger and Remus Lupin. At first, all Draco had been able to do was wallow in his misery, grief, and confusion. Then one of the carved snakes in Malfoy Manor had awoken and turned into the necklace that now hung around his neck. Draco had immediately decided that, if for nothing else, he had to find out why he had ran away like that..

Draco didn't even blink as the stone structure of the castle engulfed them. The had come to inform Dumbledore about the missing students and professor. It came as a definate shock to Draco when the elderly Headmaster looked down at them from where he stood on the bottom step of the grand staircase. Draco didn't slow down though. He sped up and stiffened his posture as blue eyes twinkled at him from behind half moon spectacles.

"Mr. Malfoy, what brings you here today? Mr. Weasley and Mr. Black as well." There was not a hint of confusion in his voice as he smiled benignly at them.

"Harry's missing. The three of us are going to look for him. We can't come to school until we find him, Hermione, and Professor Lupin." Sirius and Ron nodded as Draco took control without hesitation. He may just be a cowardly, ambitious Slytherin, but Draco knew how to get the job done.

"What has happened that would make him disappear?" The grin never left his face and Draco got the feeling that Dumbledore was only asking out of common courtesy.

"We don't know, sir. Harry overrected to an arguement with Malfoy and the next thing we know the three of them are gone. We don't know where to look for them." Ron stated plainly, meeting Dumbledore's eyes in earnest. The Headmaster looked at Sirius, who nodded slightly in Draco's direction. Dumbledore turned his twinkling blue eyes to Draco, who resisted the urge to vomit all over the older wizard's starry robes. Somehow those eyes never failed to nauseate him.

"May I suggest one more addition to your team?" As if summoned by some call, Fawkes landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. Weasley tapped Draco's shoulder and Draco turned back to look at them.

"If it's Fawkes, we should take him. He helped Harry in the Chamber of Secrets." Draco glanced at Sirius, who only nodded solemnly. The blonde turned back to Dumbledore and Fawkes flew over to Draco's shoulder, nudging the side of his face with his beak, claws heating up the clothe and flesh underneath it

"Follow me, I believe we have some things to discuss." Black and Weasley followed without hesitation, but Draco hung back, slowly climbing the stairs. Fawkes nudged his chin and Draco reached up a hand to gently rub the warm feathers. The pheonix was offering support from the memories that surrounded him as he walked through the time worn halls of the castle. He could practically feel the anger and hate that used to eclipse his entire being, especially when he spotted a chip in the formidable walls. He had shoved Harry against that wall during one of their fights over something petty and inconsequential. The Gryffindor had sported a nasty bruise on his right cheek after that particular encounter.

Would he have done what did, if he had known Harry's past? Would he have taken pity on the boy and taught him what love was like before something happened that caused him to panic, like he had just yesterday? Draco didn't know, but he was fairly sure that the answer was not one that he would like. Frowning, he displaced the unwanted memories and turned a corner not far behind the others.

Unfortunately, memories replaced memories, and his mind drifted to Harry, sleeping peacefully barely an hour before the whole thing that had Draco standing where he was now. He frowned as something grabbed at the corner of his mind, and he chased after it as it alluded him. Draco could have sworn that he saw something on the lightly tanned neck that he loved to caress when the other boy was asleep. It had looked like bite marks, but he wasn't sure. He pushed that from his mind as well when the snake around his neck awoke.

"Do not fret, little Malfoy. You will find him soon," The snake scented one of Draco's teeth with his cold tongue, "You have both a pheonix and the Malfoy magic on your side. Nothing can go wrong. We will help you search for them."

Draco scoffed, "What do you mean, search for them? I'm _going_ to find them."

The snake nudged his chin once, before it hung lifelessly around his neck again as the gargoyle to Dumbledore's office came into view. Fawkes continued to nuzzle his cheek as thoughts of Harry swirled in a mealstrom of thoughts and desires, both known and unknown.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes with a small groan to meet the disapproving stare of Hermione Granger, once he had fumbled to put his glasses on, of course. He frowned for a minute before the events of the last few days flitted past his mind's eye. He groaned again and put his head back down on the pillow that was nestled beneath his head. His thoughts were a jumbled mess and he had trouble remembering why the scent of trees and the forest surrounded him and not that of the bed that he and Draco shared. He opened his eyes again to look at Hermione.

"What in Merlin's name happened? Why are we out here?" Harry slowly sat up, holding his head and trying to ignore the gummy taste in his mouth. His friend's eyes widened in shock before her voice emerged, sounding weak in Harry's ears.

"You don't remember what happened in Diagon Alley? Or completely flipping on Draco and possibly scaring the living _crap_ out of him?" She spoke in a a trembling whisper and he had to blink at her for several seconds before he could formulate an answer.

"I remember Diagon Alley, but I don't remember doing that to Draco." Harry started to gently massage his temples, feeling the beginning of a headache and Hermione handed him a potion, which he gulped down gratefully.

Hermione shook her head, huffing quietly, "You woke up an hour after the attack, we were worried sick, but when Draco went in to make sure you were alright, you two got into a screaming match. Then you're dragging Remus and myself out of the Manor! You tell us a location and disappear. If I didn't love you, and if I wasn't this worried, I would smack you!"

Harry nodded, telling her that he heard every word that she said. Several minutes of uncomfortable silence passed, but all Harry could remember was a large gap in his memory, like someone had wiped a board of half the notes on a test the next day. He looked back at Hermione, but didn't have the heart to tell her that he had a severe lapse of memory. Instead he looked around the forest clearing that they were in, seeing better now that the potion that Hermione had handed to him began to work.

Noonday sun filtered through the treetops, creating a myriad of patterns on the forest floor. The smell of pine, birch, maple, oak, and other trees surrounded him and he sighed in contentment. They were in a muggle forest, with the sounds of life embracing them as fully as the sunlight did. Harry scooted backwards until his back hit a tree and rested his head against it, tuning out Hermione's lecture easily as he relaxed for what seemed like the first time in ages, but Harry knew that it was actually only a couple of days since he had relaxed like this. Before the blonde woke up every morning Harry would curl up against his chest and just listen to the other boy's heartbeat. Harry abruptly shook his head. From what Hermione had told him, he had completely ruined any chances of that happening ever again. If only he could remember exactly what had occured, but that was a futile hope.

"Hermione, where's Remus?" Harry effectively cut her off midsentence and she sent him a worried glance.

"He went to go get supplies and a book that I need."

"Don't tell me, Hogwarts a History." His attempt at humor failed when all she did was frown at him, concern creasing her brow as her bushy brown hair bounced in the subtle breeze.

"No, a medical text. You have a weird bite on your neck and Remus can't identify it." At her whispered words, Harry's hands flew to his neck, probing gently. He felt his own eyes widen as his hands came in contact with two shallow puncture marks.

"Werewolf?" This time it was his voice trembling as his eyes widened in panic. Hermione quickly crawled over to hug him around the shoulders.

"No, not werewolf, or vampire. Nothing like that. Remus would have been able to identify the scents before anything bad could have happened." At this, she winced, but continued to hold Harry. He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the bark, Hermione sat next to him and watched him worriedly.

They sat like that for several minutes, the bushy haired Gryffindor wanting to say something, but keeping quiet, and Harry ignoring her as his mind sped over what could have possibly happened. Just before his thoughts might have possible taken a turn for the worst, Remus apparated back in with a pop and a small satchel slung over one shoulder. He smiled at them shakily and handed the bag to Hermione, who dove into it with enthusiasm, quickly pulling out a large book. As she immersed herself in the text, Remus sat on the other side of Harry.

"Do you remember anything?" He asked quietly, knowing that while that book was open Hermione wouldn't hear a word that they said.

"No, not a thing." Harry sighed deeply and brought his knees up against his chest to rest his chin on them.

"That is worrisome. I am sure that we'll figure it out though, don't worry." Remus patted Harry's back and that seemed to be the cue for Hermione to look up, very pale indeed.

"Remus, when will you brew more wolfsbane potion?" Her voice sounded strained and both males straightened up as she looked at them.

"In a week or two, why?"

"We need wolfsbane potion, before the next full moon." This got both of their attention.

"I though you said it wasn't a werewolf bite?" It came out more like a question then he would have liked it to be, but he ignored it in favor of watching one of his best friend's faces. She mumbled something that neither of them heard and Harry raised a trembling eyebrow at her.

"A what bite?"

"It's the bite of a _Rabidus_."

* * *

TADA!! End of Chapter One!


	2. Rabidus

Disclaimer: Would I be writing this if I owned them? I think not. But the _Rabidus_ is all mine.

Note: I am not a Latin scholar, as much as I wish I could be, so the term rabidus I got from a translation site. If any of you guys can help me a bit with the whole plural/singular/right definition of this one word, it would be appreciated. Thanks.

Thoughts will be in _italics_

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Two**

_**Rabidus**_

"Sit, sit. Lemon drop?"

Draco sat down calmly, politely refusing a lemon drop as he did so. Fawkes remained settled on his shoulder and the snake stayed still around his throat. He stilled his nervous feet, ignored the sounds of the other two sitting on either side of him, keeping his gaze steady with Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes the whole time.

"I assume you want to know what I wished to speak with you about-" _No shit, old man_, "-and I am afraid that not much of it is very good." He steepled his fingers and peered at them from over the top of them.

"Albus, what is this about?" Sirius voice was calm, but a slight tremor on Dumbledore's first name belied his true feelings. He was afraid for his godson, and Draco could understand that feeling very well.

Dumbledore just looked at them, the sparkle gone from his eyes as he gazed at them solemnly. Draco stifled the urge to fidget uncomfortably, or even move his arms as he heard the other two doing.

_No wonder they weren't in Slytherin..._

"It seems as if there is a...new creature being employed by Tom, called a _Rabidus_," Draco stilled even more, even his breath pausing in his throat as vague memories of bedtime stories that he had been told to keep him in line when he had been a child, but in the end they were too vague to remember clearly, so he turned his attention to Sirius, who had opened his mouth and looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"A _Rabidus_? Albus, are you sure?" This time he didn't bother hiding the tremor in his voice. All Dumbledore did was hold up an arrow from the centaurs, covered in blood and the feathers torn out in an odd pattern, and Sirius covered his eyes with his hands and dry sobbed. Weasley took up the reins at that point and stared at Dumbledore.

"What's a_ Rabidus_?" The red head demanded; Draco rolled his eyes at the lack of tact in that single sentence.

"It is a unique strain of werewolf disease-" Draco saw Black flinch, "-contracted by a normal person when a werewolf bites them during a blue moon. They are special in the sense that they transform only during a red crescent moon and can only infect one person during their lifetime. This is usually a chosen mate or someone whom they wish to... ostracize within their community."

This time it was Draco's turn to interrupt his monologue, "What does this have to do with Harry?"

"_Rabidus_ is Latin for raging, or crazy. They can become angry at something that normally would not bother them as much, or something that they would hide and wish to brush off as nothing. Also, when they wish to pass it on, it comes in the form of puncture wounds, like any normal werewolf or even vampire-or vampyre, depending on your heritage-bite would appear as."

Draco felt the air leave his lungs and if he had not already been sitting, he would have fallen to the ground in a daze. The meaningless bedtime stories now held meaning. The _Rabidus_ or, as his mother had called them, 'Daemons,' were like anyone else you could meet in Diagon Alley. They could smile and wave at you and only appear to have minor anger trouble, but the moment the red moon turned it's darkest and touched their skin, they would become hideous beasts, even worse than a werewolf without wolfsbane except for the sheer fact that they had conscious thought while turned. Beyond that he did not know much of them, for he had thought that they were nothing more than stories told by his mother to keep him from getting into trouble.

"When they are first turned, what happens?" Draco asked and was satisfied when the tremor in his hands did not translate to his voice.

"Extreme anger at the smallest or oddest of things, rash behavior and irrational emotions, or even memory gaps, if the wizard in question fights it."

Weasley dropped his head into his hands and imitated Black. Draco felt his blood run cold in his veins.

_Bloody fucking hell._

* * *

"So, there's no cure for this?"

"I didn't say that, I said that it would take possibly months of research! Merlin, you need to listen!"

"Hermione, be careful. At least until we can get the wolfsbane into him."

Harry looked over at Remus who was slowly adding ingredients into a cauldron of the half-made wolfsbane potion. He slowly took another bite of the chocolate in his hands, feeling better bit by bit as Hermione huffed and sat down a few feet away and leaned against a tree with her arms crossed over her chest.

After she had told him about the bite and what it was, Harry had decided that he had to apologize to Draco, even if the blonde never wanted to see him again. Harry could easily understand why the blonde would decide he wasn't worth it, especially now that he was possibly incurable with a disease straight out of a fairytale. As if sensing his mood, Remus, after putting a stabilizing spell on the wolfsbane, came over and sat next to him, slinging an arm over his shoulders. Harry noted idly that he smelled like the woods that they were surrounded with, but with a slightly muskier undertone.

"I felt the same way when I met Sirius and James." He said softly, gazing at a point far into the woods as if he was gazing into a world beyond this one, which to Harry it seemed like most of the time.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, watching the older man's face as Remus smiled sardonically at the past.

"I was afraid that they would drop me the moment that they found out that I was a werewolf."

Harry just blinked, wondering what that had to do with him and what was happening to him now. "And?"

(1)"It took them, and me, fourteen years before they found out. They loved the stories of the shrieking shack and one day they decided to sneak in there during the full moon and stay there the whole night. I tried to dissuade them of it. At first I thought that I had accomplished what I set out to do and changed their minds. Being the fourteen year olds we all were though, they just decided to do it behind my back."

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry interrupted and Remus switched his gaze to Harry's emerald eyes.

"I'm getting there, just listen," Remus said patiently, "It was around Halloween when they finally decided to do it and I had went to the Shrieking Shack earlier than usual, before the moon even rose, wanting a few minutes by myself so that I could think without the interruptions that I would get in the tower.

"I heard a noise behind me, a sharp intake of breath and someone falling over. I recognized the smells that entered my noise and... I was afraid to turn around," He barked once, a laugh filled with bitter amusement, "I knew that it had been James who had gasped and Pettigrew-" Could a name be said with more loathing? "-had been the one to fall down, in an attempt to scramble backwards and get out the door. Sirius, whose scent was the strongest and the one I was most familiar with, had yet to do anything. I knew that the moment I turned around, anything I might have ever had would be gone in a puff of smoke. Sirius would look at me with a look that he used on the Slytherins and he would hate me."

"But it didn't happen that way."

"No, it didn't. I felt the moon nearing the horizon and that even if they didn't like me any more and called me a monster and spat in my face, they were still my friends and I needed to protect them, even if it was from myself. I told them to get out, that any minute now the moon would rise and I wouldn't be able to control what I did. Sirius laughed-_laughed_ when I told him that I would kill them if they didn't get out. But still he laughed," Remus voice grew even softer at this point, "He told the others that this is what they had learned to be animagi for, and transformed into Padfoot right in front of me."

"So, even though I think he will, Draco might not abandon me?" Harry raised a single eyebrow in a move so reminiscent of the Malfoy heir that he had to pause and breath as a wave of anger washed over him. He held it at bay, for once glad for Snape's occlumency lessons on how to keep his mind clear, even though they did not amount to much beyond that.

"Yes. Don't worry. What comes will come, right now we can't change anything." Remus smiled softly and returned to his potion, leaving Harry to think about what he had said. Hermione had buried her head in a book, already researching a possible cure.

_I don't think that a bezoar can fix this._

Setting that to the back of his mind, he reached into the satchel that Remus had brought back with him and an everlasting quill. Hedwig had shown up an hour after he had woken up and now sat on a branch far above their heads. She could carry his letter to Draco.

In the end he ended up writing five letters, all of them somehow deficient. Sighing sadly, he chose the one that got his message across, without making him sound too pitiful. The rest were thrown into the fire.

_'Draco,_

_I know you're probably mad at me and I can understand why. I don't even know what happened to have me waking up here, wherever I am. I really am sorry about what happened, though, and until I know more for sure about it I need to stay away from people, including Ron, Sirius, and you._

_I'm sorry,_

_Harry.'_

* * *

Sry that the chapter is a bit shorter than my usual, but after one _very_ intimidating review, I decided to speed up the progress a bit. Golden Boy should hopefully be updated within the next day or two.

(1)I have no idea in the world how that went down, so I wrote what I thought fit the situation. If anyone does know what happened, please tell me and I'll fix it.

Thanks for all of your reviews!


	3. Velvet Underground

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that right belongs to J.K. Rowling and her affiliates.

Wow...for once I have nothing to say before I begin a chapter... that is rare...

Oh wait, nevermind. I do have something to say. This chapter is solely from Draco's POV, he's slightly ooc in the beginning, btw.. Enjoy!

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Three**

**Velvet Underground**

Draco tossed a piece of parchment on the table between himself and the Weasel with a restrained snarl. The redhead picked the paper off of the beginning of the game of chess sitting between them, having made the first move with a white pawn in the center of his line. He picked and read it and Draco moved his knight out to a spot and in front of a pawn. Sirius was sitting next to the fireplace, talking to an old friend of his who worked in the underground of the Wizarding World. Apparently she had been Sirius' cell mate until she had been pardoned just a year before Black escaped and subsequently pardoned two years later himself, with just a fee for running in the first place. A minor cost, not even denting the Black vaults.

"He's scared." Weasel stated calmly, placing the letter on the table next to the board.

"Really? I thought it was a fairly pleasant note myself." Draco snarled leaning back and glaring at him. Ron just rolled his eyes.

"You can stop the sarcasm, Malfoy. I get enough of it from Hermione when she's around."

Draco just snorted sarcastically.

"Look, Harry's worried and scared. Otherwise he wouldn't have apologized before explaining why. Harry's blunt and to the point. He prefers to get to the center of things first, before anything else. That includes apologizing. You should know this by now," Ron quickly moved a pawn up two spaces across the board from Draco's knight, "And why are we playing muggle chess?"

"You're being observant, Weasley." Draco said neutrally sat back after making his move and watched as the other studied the board.

"I know my friends. I know when somethings wrong with them. Otherwise I wouldn't be a good friend." Draco snorted again.

"That's nice."

"I mean it. You have to realize the small things about another person, otherwise what is there?" Ron moved his pawn forward to challenge the one that Draco had moved forward. Draco saw the ambush laying in wait and only shrugged at it, stealing that piece and watching as Weasley took it with a pawn. Draco stole the it with his knight and leaned back again before deeming to give a response.

"His handwriting is shaky and you can see where this is not the first attempt at writing the letter. I would say that this is most likely the fifth or sixth draft. He also used the word really, Harry does not say that word without meaning to. The writing is also deeper, he's stressed and liable to break at any point." Ron's hand paused on it's way to a piece and Draco had to still the smirk from showing as the freckled one's jaw fell to his chin.

"So you noticed." He said sheepishly and made his move. Draco took the pawn Ron had moved forward and sat back, this time with his smirk showing.

"I am a Slytherin."

"Bloody snakes."

"Your best mate is sleeping in the same bed as one. Get over it." Weasley was still contemplating the board when he responded.

"Hermione told me that you liked him. A lot." His voice was pensive and Draco tensed a minuscule muscle in his foot.

"And?"

"And that you would do anything to get him."

"I am."

"Are you?" Their eyes met and clashed over the board as a white pawn took Draco's black knight.

"What do you mean, Weasley?" Draco's eyes hardened as he moved a bishop to a waiting position.

"Are you willing to do anything to get him? Or would he just be a meaningless conquest that you'll drop the moment he becomes too difficult?" Ron's piece move forward into the trap.

"I'm putting up with you lot, aren't I? I'm also looking for him, when I could be getting ready to go back to school." This time Draco leaned back and just stared at the board.

"How do I know that your not just using him to some end of your own." Weasel's fingers came up under his nose in a steeple shape and for a split second, Draco saw the Headmaster in those somber blue eyes. Draco knew how to handle Dumbledore, his methods only need to be modified for the redhead.

"How do you know that your not needlessly worrying?" The black bishop took the pawn, "Check.

Ron moved his king up a space, "I don't and I want to be sure before I do anything. Like make threats towards my friends honor."

"Gryffindor." Draco moved his bishop back to its starting point and Weasel moved the king back to its.

"Thank you."

Draco moved a pawn up two spaces, "You have nothing to worry about."

"How do I know that?" Ron slid his rook across the board, parallel to the pawn.

"You don't." Draco moved a pawn in preparation to take it.

"Now you see my problem, Malfoy," Ron didn't touch the rook, opting to pull out a knight.

Draco took the rook, "I do." Weasley moved his knight again. Draco took the pawn out of the danger zone.

"So, how do I trust you?" A white pawn was moved out.

"Do you want to trust me?" A black bishop took up residence in front of a pawn.

"No." Another pawn was taken out.

"I see." The bishop took a white knight.

"But I'll try for Harry's sake." The pawn took the bishop.

"Why?" The other bishop appeared beyond the line of remaining pawns.

"Because he matters to me." The pawn moved out of the line of danger.

"He matters to me as well." The bishop slid across the board halfway.

"Why?" The pawn moved forward again. Draco left it alone and used the bishop to steal the last white knight.

"Harry forgave me, when it seemed like no one else would. He gave me the second chance that I was looking for." Ron's pawn took another of Draco's.

"Check." The black queen took the pawn.

"You play horribly, Weasley."

"Harry can never beat me." He pointed out, sliding a bishop across the board. Draco's knight came out. Ron's pawn stepped forward. The black knight moved out of it's way and Weasel's other bishop came to a point exactly across the board from it.

"Harry can't use strategy very well. You need it in this game, although it may look like meaningless moves to anyone watching." His knight moved forward again.

"That's Harry for you. He's better at spontaneous planning, in the heat of the moment." A white bishop took another pawn. Draco moved his queen back into her spot. Another white pawn moved out. The black bishop claimed a pawn. Weasley frowned before moving another pawn out.

"You're about out of pawns."

"I know." He sighed as Draco's bishop cinched another victory. His rook sped out and took it.

"That's why I like Harry. Despite everything he's been through, he sees the world through different eyes than expected." His knight took the white queen.

"Tell me more, Malfoy." His rook took a pawn.

"He doesn't plan ahead, because for years he didn't even think that he would have one," One of Draco's rooks took the last white one, "So he got friends who could plan, when he realized that he would have a future." Weasel's last bishop sped back across the board and Draco's rook took the last white pawn, leaving Ron with only two bishops and his king, "Then he found out that he would have to deal with a Dark Lord, one of the strongest. He might not have a future after all," Ron's bishop went back to it's side, "Yet he can still see the world like a little child getting his first broom. No matter what, there's still good in everyone, even Voldemort," Draco's hands folded in his lap and his eyes met Ron's clearly and without masks, "That's why I love him and want him back, because he brings out the best in everyone around him, he gives people a second chance that they, in spite of how they feel, don't deserve it. There's more to it, though. His smile, his laugh," A gentle smile spread across his face as he watched the Weasley's eyes widened as Draco's voice softened, "His eyes, his voice. It pulls me in and makes me want to love and care for him. That is the reason that I'm looking for him. We might end up hating each other in five years, but I don't care. Right now... Right now I just want to protect him and make sure that he comes home safely."

Ron's king fell in surrender and Draco blinked as his gaze returned to the present. He had needed to tell Weasel everything, otherwise he would have battled him needlessly. Although, every Malfoy needed a confident and advisor. That had been his father's first mistake, in pushing everyone away.

"I believe you, Malfoy. You hurt him, though, and you have to deal with all of the Weasleys." Draco just nodded and they stood up to join Black by the fire, Fawkes flying from his porch to land on Draco's shoulder.

* * *

The buildings of Wortshell Lane surrounded them as the trio walked calmly, this time with Sirius in the lead. His firecall to his previous cell mate had been... advantageous and they were now on their way to meet with her. Black had not given any names, only looking at them with a smug smile before telling them the apparition point.

Draco hated not knowing what was going on, but he straightened his shoulders and walked on. Harry needed him to be strong, needed him to be calm and rational. Irrational behavior was not very suiting at this point in time. So Draco stood straight and proud, doing his best to return honor to the Malfoy name. A name that his father had not cared about.

Weasley walked beside him, standing as courageously as his family name allowed him. These days that stood for far more than Draco's own name. He could live with that, as long as Ronald Weasley was willing to stand beside him, next to Harry and his own mother, and help to bring the Malfoy name up and back to its previous glory.

The Weasel had passed the tests that Draco had set up for him and although their past was not forgotten, it was easily put behind them.

For now, as long as he continued to improve.

Black made a sudden right turn and into the doors of a tall opposing building, the teens following him without pause.

Draco looked around the lobby as the older man talked to the receptionist in charge. His father had brought him here once, when he was young and still easily fooled. He had long since forgotten it in a tumble of other memories that he had sworn to never recall, as long as he didn't need to. Those recollections of another time were not necessary. Draco would know this building without them any day.

The Wizarding World Communications Center had departments all over the world, doing many jobs that no other one would touch. Mostly it acted as a liaison between wizards abroad and their muggle relatives, which surprisingly few companies and businesses rarely delved into. They also were responsible for funding the auror training programs and many of the ministry research departments. They were also major funders of the stipend that the Hogwarts muggleborn students received for school supplies and the such. Ultimately, they were the sole reason that Hermione Granger and many others like her came into the Wizarding World to learn magic in the first place.

Draco didn't have to wonder for long as to why Black would want to come here.

"Sirius Black! How many years has it been? Five? Six? Seven?"

"Aurora Willowcry! It has been far too long." They embraced and Draco had to reach over and forcibly close Weasley's jaw as the two friends chatted happily.

"Willowcry... They're... They're bloody famous... She can't possibly be the cell mate of Sirius..." Shocked blue eyes met Draco's own and the blond only smirked.

"Aurora Willowcry, estranged daughter of Borealis Willowcry, was imprisoned in Azkaban for the murder of her uncle, Tomitis Borint. Her defense had been temporary insanity and self-defense. No one believed her, which isn't surprising. Borint was the head of WWCC until his death, than her father took over. He died seven years ago, leaving the legacy to his only child, Aurora Willowcry."

"How do you know this?!"

"I've read the Daily Prophet-"

"Big fat liars, they are." Draco ignored the interruption.

"-Along with five other newspapers since the time I was seven. I read the article of when she was released several times in the past few years." Draco leaned up against the wall, between the portraits of Borealis Willowcry and his wife.

"Why was she pardoned?" Weasley sat in a nearby chair and rested his chin on his fingertips.

"Without her, Wizarding World Communications Center would have fallen into ruin, taking with it a good three quarters of the economy and ministry with it. It would have been similar to the Great Depression that happened in Muggle and Wizarding America. How can you not know this?" The last was said with a sneer sent to the redhead.

"I didn't pay much attention to anything past the three of us." Weasley's gaze was calm with nothing to hide the shame that was lying underneath everything else. Draco just nodded and turned back to the two older people.

"I can see why she would be able to run the underground without any problems." He said instead.

"Short, but with intimidation."

"I'm rubbing off on you."

"Let's hope the same doesn't happen to Harry."

"It won't." Draco replied to the obvious threat in the Weasel's voice.

Seriously, he had to learn the subtleties a tad bit more. Didn't living in the Malfoy household teach him that? Apparently not, as he was openly gazing all around him, instead of looking between his eyelashes or from the corner of his eyes.

"Draco, Ron," Draco straightened as Black approached with the smaller female behind him, "This is Aurora Willowcry. Aurora, these are Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy."

Draco had met her briefly a few short years ago, during Christmas hols of his fourth year. That had been when his father had brought him to meet her and become acquainted with the largest company of the Wizarding World.

"Ah, young Malfoy. My condolences to your father's incarceration." Her brown eyes flickered in challenge at the two.

"Not needed, for he is not missed." He responded smoothly, turning his attention to his manicured cuticles.

"I see. The youngest Weasley boy, how are your parents?" Her gaze switched to his easily, appraising his worth in her world.

"Mother and father are fine. Expecting another child, actually." Not perfect, but at least he hadn't stuttered. Maybe there was hope for him like Draco thought.

"Excellent. I shall send her a package with my salutations and congratulations." She smiled at all three before gesturing for them to follow her into a meeting room just off the lobby. Sirius set the silencing spell himself before sitting down next to Willowcry, who had taken the head of the table. Draco sat on the other side of her with Weasley sitting beside him.

"What brings you to my humble company, Sirius? Last I heard you were finally pardoned earlier this year. How's your godson?" She leaned back in her chair, twirling the wand between her fingers.

"Harry's missing." The wand fell still and her slim shoulders tensed.

"What? Harry Potter is missing?" Her voice was low, confusion evident so Draco sat forward.

"Yes, Harry's missing. With the bite of a _rabidus_, or daemon, as the cause."

"That is most... Startling, Master Malfoy."

"We need to find a cure for this, Aurora. Do you know anything or anyone that might help us?"

"I am not even sure that phoenix tears could fix this, frankly." Willowcry leaned forward, arms coming to rest on the table.

"Even if we find a cure, we have to find Harry first." Weasley pointed out and Draco shot him a glare.

"Please, Weasel, don't remind me." He all but snarled out. The redhead huffed but fell quiet.

"Fortunately, I can help you with that. I can set some of my people on it and he should be found within a few weeks."

"That would help us a lot, thank you, Aurora. I don't know how I can repay you for this." Black smiled at her wearily, exhaustion shining in his eyes.

"Call it settling of a debt, Sirius Black. For you are the reason that I have my sanity and my empire."

* * *

I am not completely happy with the first part, I actually played myself in chess to get it done, so it's a tad confusing.

Cya next time!

Midnight Out.


	4. Hunting for Horcruxes:Slytherin's Locket

Disclaimer: Look at first three chapters.

This chapter will most likely be solely in Harry's POV. I haven't decided yet. And damn! Harry is depressed! Just hold in mind that I like to make twists in my stories.

My word goal for this chapter is: 3,000, or five pages, whichever I end up ending this chapter on. I do have an outline to go by.

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Four**

**Hunting for Horcruxes: Slytherin's Locket**

Harry flipped the page, not even trying to make the words make sense. He was too tired, racked with dreams that he had almost forgotten existed when he had slept in Draco's calming arms. A week away was too long.

That was behind him now, though, he would have to get used to the idea that Draco hated his guts now. Draco was a pureblood, Harry would have to understand that there was always someone better for the Malfoy heir than him, a half-blooded wizard who was now more creature than human.

Maybe Harry should just never see him again, that would make it easier for him to let go. None of his friends had any ties to the Malfoy family, unless Draco had really decided to invest in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes like he had said he was thinking about doing, but that didn't mean that Harry would have to deal with him. That would be up to the the twins.

Harry just wished that Tom Riddle hadn't set a _rabidus_ after him and gotten him bitten. Fate did not seem to like him, for Hermione had yet to find a cure and Harry did not want her to go to Hogwarts to look for the information. They had finally compromised, Remus took her to Diagon Alley, where they would walk to Knockturn Alley, and she would look for anything that might help them on every front.

They also had to find the horcruxes. Harry could not forget that, no matter what happened he could not allow himself to be drawn away from his duty. No one else could kill Voldemort, after all. He had already forgotten that once, when Draco had started to open up.

A twig snapped to his right, but Harry ignored it. It was only a deer and a doe. He turned the page again, eyes skimming the words just for something to do.

They would be back soon and Harry had to take a modified wolfsbane potion, to keep his temper in check. A couple of days ago he had lost his temper at something that he couldn't remember. It had taken them a couple of hours to calm down and keep him from hurting them or himself, or so they said. After that they had taken a couple of days to adjust the wolfsbane potion to match his circumstances.

His mask, the one that he had not used since they had left the Dursleys, slid over his features as memories of their first, and pretty much only, kiss. It had only been half a minute at the most, but in those thirty seconds Harry had felt so much more than he ever had before, including the time when he had found out that Sirius was his godfather.

Draco had only been staying with him for two weeks by that time...

_Dinner seemed to take forever. No one said a word. After what seemed like an eternity, Harry grabbed the empty plates and turned to go to the sink. The Dursleys were sitting at the table, waiting for dessert. He didn't know that Draco had gotten up and followed him until he was spun around and pushed against the counter. Harry blushed wildly and looked up at the taller blond. It might have only looked like a head's height difference, but right now it seemed to be so much more. He was aware of strong arms on either side of him and the way his own hands had automatically curled up on the other's chest._

_"M-Malfoy?" He squeaked out in surprise and he lifted his eyes to meet the other's. Arrogant gray met the slightly fearful emerald ones hidden behind a pair of glasses._

_"Kiss me." He said it loud enough for Harry's already surprised relatives to hear._

_"B-But..." He stuttered._

_"Be a good boy and kiss me." He said it as arrogantly as he looked, but there must of been a hint of something else, because Harry leaned up and pressed his lips to Draco's. After a few seconds, he started to pull back and say something, but Draco was not about to let that happen._

_He swooped down and pressed his slightly parted lips onto the other's mouth harshly, biting the bottom lip in the process. Harry arched his back and gasped lightly and Draco took the opportunity he had given himself and slipped his tongue into the other's moist cavity. Almost instantly, Harry's tongue came to battle with his, but surrendered when Malfoy wrapped his arms around his slender waist and Harry tipped his head back to give Draco better access and moved his own arms to around the pale neck, his eyes sliding shut. A strange heat pooled in their stomach's, originating from where their bodies were touching._

_It was several minutes later that they remembered that they weren't the only ones in the room. The Dursleys were sitting in shocked silence, although Dudley was quickly becoming enraged. Draco smirked and licked his lips victoriously, stepping back reluctantly from the dark haired teen, who's pupils were wide with lust._

Harry had run from the room like a coward, but the memory had him shivering in recalled lust. He dispelled it quickly though. It was only a memory. He couldn't have those bothering him at a time like this either. Standing up, he began to pace, scaring away the deers in the process. Unbidden, his hand drifted to the dragon pendent that hung around his neck, almost completely forgotten in the events of the last week. He snarled, pulling his hand away and fisting it at his side.

Anger rolled off of him in palpable waves and he started to take deep breaths, it wouldn't do to have another memory blank, that couldn't be good for his sanity. Luckily Remus had helped him figure out how to tell when an 'attack', as they called them, was about to hit him. It had only taken several hours to find out and luckily the _rabidus_ was a close enough relation to werewolves to have the same warning signs for their transformations. That alone had helped Harry figure out how far he could safely let his temper go, before it was imperative to rein it in.

The sudden crack of apparition startled him enough that he whirled around and almost fell flat on his arse, luckily there was a tree in grabbing distance.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione rushed forward, satchel banging against her side as she helped to steady him, her head coming to his ear. He really hated being so short.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did you find anything?" Harry slid to the ground beneath the tree, tucking a knee against his chest defensively.

"Yes, some books on horcruxes and another solely on the rabidus. Luckily you had that bottomless pouch connected to your vault sent last week. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get them." She quickly pulled out the book on Harry's current condition, but had Hermione put it away.

"Concentrate on the horcruxes for now." He said slowly. She nodded and pulled out another one.

"You said that the ring was destroyed, as was the diary. That leaves five," Hermione began while she opened the book and started skimming the pages as she listed them, "Slytherin's locket, something of Ravenclaw's, Hufflepuff's goblet, and Nagini. The seventh was never told, but you said that Dumbledore had his suspicions." Harry nodded slowly in agreement.

"Nagini will be left for last. Seeing as how we wouldn't be able to get close to him without Voldemort becoming suspicious." Harrry said calmly as Remus settled himself slowly on the ground a foot or two from them.

"Good idea, Harry. This gives us a chance to find the other locket, the real one." Hermione sounded enthusiastic and she reached into her bag again to pull out parchment and an everlasting quill.

"Why are you two doing this and not Albus?" The werewolf's soft voice went unnoticed by Hermione as she murmured quietly to herself, which left Harry to answer him.

"He can't anymore, Remus. His hand is too mangled and his magic is slowly weakening. Dumbledore's getting old, Tom Riddle is not." He shook his head slowly, shoulders lifted slightly to bear the burden that everyone put on his shoulders.

"How do you know that his magic is weakening?" Remus asked softly, brow creasing as he tried to figure everything out.

"His eyes aren't twinkling as brightly."

"That could just be him getting old, Harry." This time Remus' voice was more imploring than anything else and Harry felt his eyebrows rising in disbelief.

"Remus, Dumbledore is in his hundreds, he has ingested poisons that would kill a lesser man in minutes. He's killed Grindelwad, Remus! One of the Dark Lords that would beat Tom on a scale of one to ten of insanity! He can't do this anymore, he's leaving it up to the younger generation. And who better to go after him than me?" Harry's eyes were blazing and darkness was starting to edge in on his vision. He was about to have another attack.

Hermione thrust a goblet under his nose and Harry drank from it quickly, feeling the soothing effects kick in within just a few moments. He took several long, calming breaths, hoping that the technique would work this time with the potion in his system.

"I see what you mean, Harry." Remus patted his shoulder comfortingly, resting his hand in that position.

"Thanks, Remus. Now, about the locket, 'Mione?"

"Oh? Yes! All I know is that the initials are R.A.B. and that is was taken by a young Death Eater. That's it, I don't know what the initials stand for. Unfortunately, Dumbledore still has the locket itself." She shook her head slowly and Harry felt despair slowly set in. If they couldn't find all of the horcruxes they were as good as dead, Voldemort would be immortal.

"Wait, R.A.B.?" Remus leaned forward, amber eyes resting on Hermione's face expectantly.

"Yes. What is it Remus?" She mirrored his body language.

"Sirius' younger brother was named Regulus. I think his middle name was Arcturus."

"Regulus Arcturus Black. R.A.B.," Hermione looked at Harry, eyes bright with the look she got when she was on the trail of some interesting information, "Sirius younger brother wasn't as far gone as he was thought to be! He got the locket from the basin and drank the poison!"

"Let's go to Grimmauld place and get it, than. Sirius should still be at Malfoy Manor." Remus stood up slowly, groaning when his back popped from having his spine changed at the full moon one too many times.

"What about the Order?" Hermione questioned.

"They've been moved to Hogwarts for the summer. After that, Dumbledore hasn't said where he's moving headquarters. Do you want to go, Harry?"

Harry nodded slowly, at first reluctant at the possibility of seeing Draco. He had a feeling that going there would make him feel better about his decisions, but at the same time his gut was telling him not to mess with the horcrux he would find there. So, of course, he ignored the feeling.

"Let's go, before I change my mind." With that they stood up and apparated as a group to Sirius' ancestral home, but it belonged to Harry ultimately. They had never switched ownership back and Harry had argued at length about that.

They appeared in the foyer, the main staircase right in front of them. Remus led the way up the stairs and into a room near the roof of the house. His body blocked the door, but Harry didn't really care as he felt something tugging him in the direction of the large dresser.

"Hermione, check the drawers." She nodded and instantly started to open them, rummaging around as Harry fell to his knees and checked under it.

Nothing caught his eye, yet still something was pulling his eyes to this general area. It was a subtle tug and Harry would not have even noticed it if it had not caught him by surprise. Groaning almost silently at the thought of something else weird about him, he thrust his hand and arm under the dresser. Moving around, and ignoring what the cleanliness of the entire room might mean in regards to Kreacher, he felt around for anything that might be hidden there.

Harry almost jumped out of his skin when his hand brushed up against something pleasantly warm carefully attached to a leg with a temporary sticking charm. Wrapping his fist around it, Harry gently tugged until he felt the charm give away.

"What did you find, Harry?" Hermione's excited voice entered his ears and he turned to her, opening his hand until silver shone in the room like a glowing beacon.

"Slytherin's locket." Harry spoke quietly, awe underlying the words as a delicate heat filled his hand, something inside of him that had been hurting and screaming for years soothed down to murmurs in the back of his mind. Draco still cared about him and Harry's life was filled with light and happiness. Nothing could go wrong, everything was right in the world now.

"Master's locket!" And Harry crashed back down to earth, back into the darkened room that had once belonged to Sirius' younger brother, with the _rabidus _snarling clearly in the back of his mind now that the screaming had been silenced.

"It wasn't Regulus' locket, Kreacher, it was Voldemort's." Hermione's voice was next to him and Harry stood up, turning around to face Kreacher while he secured the locket next to the pendent that Draco had gotten him.

"I know that, filthy mudblood! Master Regulus died to retrieve that and save your filthy skin! It is his!" The filthy House Elf rushed at Hermione, murder in his pitch black eyes.

It happened in slow motion to Harry. He saw Remus rush forward to intercept Kreacher, Hermione's hand was reaching into her pocket where she stored her wand.

Harry heard the creature in the back of his mind snarl that killing the creature would be the only way to go. He silenced it and took a slow step forward, grabbing Kreacher around his neck and pinning him against his chest. The House Elf fought and tore madly at the air, striving to grab Harry's neck or find some purchase on the sleeves of his robes. Harry let him rage for several long minutes until he leaned down and howled in the House Elf's slowly decaying ear.

Kreacher stopped moving.

"I know what Regulus did for us better than anyone else. I know that you loved him and that you would do anything to keep this house the way it was for him. But we are not the ones you want to fight." And Harry did know. With placing the locket around his neck, clarity had been given to his mind. Even the light coming in through the curtained window seemed brighter than it had only five short minutes ago. The _rabidus_ venom still snarled in the back of his mind, but that was nothing when compared to the howls that had been there all his life, the ones he had never noticed.

"You, you will avenge Master?" Kreacher's gravelly voice was hesitant and Harry smiled gently as he placed him on the ground.

"Him and everyone else that has fallen to Tom Riddle, Kreacher." He assured. Kreacher stared at him for several long minutes before nodding and disappearing into the woodwork of his beloved home.

"I will tell Master Sirius that you found Master's locket." Rang throughout the room a second later.

They looked at each other, Remus' amber eyes were wide with disbelief. Hermione's shone with triumph and vigor. Harry felt the shock slowly fade away and everything was turning dull and normal again. Clarity was lost, hanging around the edges of conscious thought. For a minute Harry almost wished that it would help him get rid of all his problems, but even he knew that he was not to be so lucky.

"Harry, is that safe to keep around your neck?" His bushy haired friend's voice broke whatever meditative state he had been sent into. Looking around him, Harry noticed that they stood next to the dresser in Regulus' room, the locket warming a spot on his chest next to where the dragon pendent lay.

"It's fine Hermione, it's not like it's going to take over my mind." Harry brushed her off and they headed down the stairs and back into the foyer where they apparated back to their campsite.

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

2769 for the story itself, and roughly five full pages. Close enough. I'll have to try harder next time.

Thanks for your reviews everyone, and if anyone has any requests or ideas, or just constructive criticism for this, or any story I've written or want me to write, my ears are open.

Midnight Out.


	5. A Possible Cure

Disclaimer: check first three chapters.

**Cookies to quiditch beater **for figuring out that the locket had something to do with the meditative state that Harry went into last chapter, but no, it's not Voldie's soul manipulating him. Sorry.

Until chapter nine or ten, the chapters will switch between Harry's and Draco's POV

Goal: 3,000 words or 5 pages

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Five**

**A Possible Cure**

Draco's nights had been restless and he knew that he had bags under his eyes and his hair was lank and dull. Frankly, he didn't care. All he wanted was Harry back. Draco would do anything to get him back into his arms, even if it was temporary.

Nothing was the same without Harry around. The gardens that once caught and held his attention for hours and hours were now merely balms to his wounded heart and soul. Books that once captivated him bored him and didn't even have half of the appeal that they once did. Flavors that once danced on his tongue now seemed drab and boring without any taste to their names. Colors weren't as bright and not even chess seemed to pull him out of his stupor.

He spent his days in library, tossing book after book away as it either failed to draw him in or didn't give him the information he needed. His nights were spent tossing and turning, looking for the something that he could hold to his chest and protect from Voldemort and anything else that threatened him.

He just wanted his Gryffindor back. It had only been a week and a half since Harry had ran away, but Draco was already at his wits end. Without Harry with him, nothing was right with his world. Part of him feared that Harry truly hated him and there was nothing wrong with the smaller teen. But there was also a part of him that knew that Harry still cared deeply enough for him that he wouldn't drop Draco like dead weight.

Draco felt like he was being pulled in a direction that he didn't want to go. The forests that were in the back of his estate, unprotected by the wards drew his eyes every morning and he hoped that wherever Harry was he was surrounded by trees that surpassed those in beauty and with Granger and Lupin, they cared enough to keep him safe.

He was drawn from his musings by a house elf opening the door to the study and drawing his attention to a slim figure that stood beside the green creature. She wore pale green, sleeveless dress robes that made her brown eyes shine with a strange light. Auburn hair was pulled into a loose bun and Draco could see exactly why people feared her.

His meeting with her a few days ago had not convinced him of her dealings in the underworld, but the robes she wore revealed a tattoo of on her upper right arm that made him pause in his tracks.

The magical underworld had five levels of control, each named after a magical creature. Ashwinders were the drug-runners and junkies. They never did anything beyond that, deciding that they were just fine where they were. Their tattoo was of a gray snake that slithered around their arm.

Next came the thestrals. They were the hit-men, the mercenaries, the ones who could get paid to do anything you asked. They also served a role similar to that of muggle pimps. Their tattoo was of a black and blue winged-skeletal horse flying across the limb.

Then were the chimaera. These people were the informants that kept the underworld alive and thriving. They knew everything about everyone involved and could be bought by anyone for a price. A black, gray, and blue chimera sleeping on their arm.

Next to the highest were the dragons. They served as assassins, spies, secret service to the overlord of their very craft. They had an artful tattoo of a dragon that shifted between black, gray, blue, and gold dragon watching the room that they stood in.

The tattoos would change depending on where in the hierarchy they were residing in. Only one wouldn't change, the one of the overlord themselves, although their advisors could move around and generally came from all levels.

Her's was the nundu tattoo. It lay curled around her arm, occasionally blinking its eyes as it stared at Draco. Every color of every tattoo of the underworld swirled around it's fur, plus an inky green that came from its mouth and nostrils as it breathed. It bespoke of the overlord and their cabinet.

It was said that the nundu could come to life and protect her when her life was in danger. Draco didn't know if this was true, but seeing the large cat moving and breathing on her arm cast a shadow of doubt on his previous skepticism.

"Miss Willowcry." He came forward and shook her hand, keeping an eye on her tattoo just as it watched him in return.

"Master Malfoy, please, call me Aurora." She smiled at him, baring her teeth slightly in challenge. He only smirked in return.

"I am sorry, Miss Willowcry, but I find that your art is a bit too much for such familiarity at this point." She grinned at him. He had passed whatever test she had put in front of him. Interesting...

"You seem to be a good kid, Master Malfoy." Another test. One he had already passed with Harry's grandparents.

"Please, Miss Willowcry, I would prefer Draco. I do not want to be associated with my father. Many knew him as Master Malfoy." This time her eyes glinted with something else and Draco felt the back of his neck erupt in goosebumps as she took his arm as he led her to a seat.

"Master Draco it is." He used the time it took to get into his seat to compose his face. He would not hope for Harry's return quite yet.

"What brings you here today?" He steepled his fingers in front of him as he watched her.

"As you know, I had my people-" Her cabinet of advisors mixed with some informants and spies, most likely, "-searching for either you Mr. Potter or for the cure to his curse. I have some news on both fronts." Draco straightened up, watching her intensely.

"Continue, please." She shook her head.

"Where are Mr. Weasley and Sirius?" Willowcry tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, chastising Draco for his impatience. He limited the stiffening to his feet and smiled pleasantly at her.

"They are investigating a disturbance in the words at Sirius' home that happened a few days. From what his house elf reported it was Harry, Granger, and Lupin. They will be there most of the afternoon." Draco stated politely. She nodded.

"Than you can relay what you have to say to them when they return," She continued at his nod, "Ms. Granger and Mr. Lupin have been spotted in Diagon and Knockturn alley multiple times. One time they purchased a book on the rabidus."

"So he was bitten by one." Draco sighed in relief, shoulders easing from the strain that worry had put on him.

"Yes, he was. I have also gained information on them as well." This caught his attention and his feet stiffened in his shoes in an attempt to keep the anxiety from the rest of his body.

"What have you found out?" His voice was easy, but he knew that she saw through his mask easily.

"A way to relief the symptoms that they suffer. No cure as of yet, but my potion makers are working on it."

He nodded, letting the worry seep into his voice and eyes, "What is it?" She reached into her pocket and retrieved a piece of parchment, passing it to him.

"Exposure to the one they care the most about will stop them from breaking out into irrational anger."

Draco frowned and his shoulders slumped. That must not be him, Harry had gone into a panic when talking to him.

"This acts as sort of balance, as they tend to be the first person that they lash out against. This usually results in their disappearance, like your Mr. Potter's." She nodded slightly at his strained expression.

"How am I supposed to tell him that? I doubt that he'll believe me. So, right now that information is useless." He ignored Fawkes' warmth as the phoenix landed on his shoulder and looked at the paper with his head tilted. Willowcry's eyes brightened as they landed on the bird.

"Send the paper I gave you to the phoenix. It won't burn, and the bird will find him no matter where he is." Draco's own eyes widened as he looked between Fawkes and the paper. The phoenix, somehow knowing what was needed grabbed the piece of paper and disappeared in a ball of fire.

"I'm surprised I didn't think of sending him a letter with Fawkes. They have wards up-wherever they are-that stop any owls from getting to them. After the first letter that Harry sent me, he didn't send any word at all. I've tried sending him something-anything-that will let him know that I would help him with whatever it is, but none of my letters got through." Draco sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose."

He really wanted his Gryffindor back. He glanced at Willowcry and saw her gaze seemed a little far away. His heart plummeted.

"Miss Willowcry?" His hand fell back to the table.

"Tell me about Mr. Potter's past." She snapped out and Draco's shoulders tensed as he straightened and looked at her squarely as he slowly stood up, hands planted on the desk firmly.

"I am sorry, Miss Willowcry, but I can not see how his past would help you." His voice was ice cold and he refrained from smirking when she shivered slightly. That would not get him any help at all, and he knew that.

"Draco, if his past was anything like mine, I will be able to help him in ways that you can't." She looked at him, brown eyes unguarded and filled with memories of pain and suffering endured. Draco relented and sat back down.

"Only if you swear to not use the knowledge for anything else." His voice was still glacial and the nundu on her arm glared at him.

"I promise, you have my oath, kept on my honor and my family name and fortunes." Draco felt the magic tighten around them and dissolve. He nodded as he relaxed his posture, looking at her earnestly.

"The people he lived with hated him." He paused, searching for the right words. Those wouldn't do.

"Many people hate Mr. Potter, Draco, that alone does not mean anything." She scoffed and looked him squarely in the eye. Draco nodded and took a deep breath. He might as well tell it from his point of view. Taking another deep breath, he continued.

"I spent a month there at the beginning of summer vacation. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary, if you ignored the extra chores, the lack of use when it came to his name, and the odd obsession his cousin had with him, that is. Right before we left, he found out that his aunt, his mother's sister, was a squib." His eyes saddened as a yell echoed in his mind's ear.

_"YOU'RE SORRY?! YOU DIDN'T SEEM THAT SORRY WHEN YOUR HUSBAND BEAT ME!"_

"It turned out that years of abuse had happened there. His aunt hated her family, hated magic, and her husband hated anything different. This transformed into a hatred of their only nephew. He was beaten cruelly, I've seen the scars. Granger said that he's always been a bit antisocial."

"_He views himself far differently than we do."_

"He distrusted everyone around him, even Granger and Weasley, somehow convinced that they would think him a freak like his relatives did," Draco smiled at Willowcry sadly, "I think he had nightmares, so he didn't sleep either, and he was severely malnourished. He... he had one while he was still here... he didn't remember it when he woke up, so I never told him that he was having one. It was horrible." Draco shook his head and looked out the window behind them, touching the pane of glass softly as the snake around his neck animated enough to lick his chin soothingly.

"Scars?" He looked at her slowly, tears were filling her eyes as she touched a spot on her shoulder gently.

Draco nodded.

"His skin was littered with them. At times I wondered how he could still smile and see everything so innocently. Than he would talk about the Dark... Voldemort and I would realize that it was the only way that he could stay sane. The only way that he could live with himself." At this he shook his head and sat back down, wondering when he had stood up in the first place.

"Mr. Potter, was he ever... sexually... abused?"

Draco shook his head, "I never saw any evidence of it. For that I'm thankful. On top of everything else, it might have ended up killing him instead of turning him into the strong wizard that he is today," Here he snorted, "And to think I ever thought that he was pampered."

"What was the nightmare about? The one you say you saw him have. I need to know everything." He blinked slowly at her, touching his left arm carefully.

"I had gotten up to write some letters to some of my father's business associates. Harry was still asleep...

_Draco sighed as he put the last letter down. Perhaps the men would respond favorably when they found out that Lucius Malfoy's son still wanted to do business with them. Right now he didn't really care. All he really wanted was sleep, but the decaying mark was burning more than usual tonight and the spells that Draco used to keep the pain at bay couldn't be renewed until Granger woke up. She had found him stronger ones and had yet to tell him how to cast them. He'd fix that problem in the morning, make her tell him by using the charm she only found amusing._

_It would work, it had to._

_Standing slowly, stretching out the kinks in his back from sitting for so long in one position, Draco turned to look out at the moonlit gardens. Harry loved them like that and usually woke up if Draco got out of bed because of his arm bothering him. Those times they usually talked in the gardens until he was ready to lay back down or Harry finally went searching for Granger and her damned spell._

_That didn't happen tonight though. Yesterday had been tiring for him, the Weasleys had played a game of quidditch and asked him to play with them. Their game had lasted hours longer than usual and Draco had laughed long and hard from the sidelines as the twins batted the bludgers at anyone they wanted to, ignoring the colors of the jerseys that they wore._

_He had decided not to play, his arm had been bothering him more than usual and he didn't want to aggravate it. Harry had finally caught the snitch right before dinner, the sun already setting as they landed._

_Draco shook his head and smiled as a house elf chased a garden gnome across his line of sight. Harry had looked so peaceful, curled up under the blankets as he curled up against Draco's side. He was sound enough asleep that when Draco had stood up he had only sighed and grabbed a pillow instead. Draco had watched him for a minute before heading into the study to get some work done. He still wasn't ready to lay down yet, there was still some work that could be done. He could always get a house elf to wake up Granger if it got any worse, but until than he wouldn't bother._

_A soft cry broke through his thoughts and he turned his head until he was looking through the open door that led back into his bedroom. It happened again, this time resounding with fear. Draco walked quickly back and the sight of Harry, stretched with his back arching, would have caused an erection if the pained whimpers echoed with something else. The pillow that he had curled up against was thrown to the floor near the bed._

_He rushed forward, reaching Harry quickly and sliding in next to him, pulling him against his chest as he rubbed his back._

"_No... don't... don't hurt me... don't hurt... don't hurt Cedric!" Harry's struggles slowly calmed until he was laying docilely in Draco's arm, snuggling up against him and sighing happily as he fell into a peaceful sleep once again._

"...I never let him sleep alone after that. No matter how much trouble I was having." He sighed and looked at her.

"Mr. Malfoy, Draco, I think that I can help you." She nodded to herself and composed her face. Draco simply raised an eyebrow. It was his turn to question her.

"How?" He leaned back and watched her.

"I can talk to him, bring him out of his pain and make him actually talk about it instead of bottling it up inside," She raised a hand to silence him when Draco opened his mouth, "Trust me, that is what he does. I know why he sleeps when being held and why he has nightmares when you aren't there to hold him."

"How do you know?" The words came out harshly, but Draco didn't care. Her hand fell to her side as her eyes hardened.

"I know, because my past, while very different, was similar enough to his that I had the exact same problems. I _would_ have gone insane, I would have killed myself. But I didn't. I survived. If you want to see your Harry live, you will listen to me and listen well. Your Granger may know a lot, but she does not know everything. Choose now, Mr. Malfoy, and choose well, because without it you may never see him sleeping on your satin sheets _ever_ again. Do you hear me?" Brown met icy blue and Draco raised a hand, summoning a house elf as he did so. Her breathing was harsh and her eyes followed the movements of his hand. He nodded his head solemnly, making up his mind than and there.

"What type of tea would you like, Aurora?"

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP

30,40 words almost six full pages. WOOT! I exceeded both goals! And I didn't even check my progress until the very end. I'm going to go ahead and respond to everyones reviews now. :)

chewypenguins: Don't worry, it will all be resolved!

Cyiusblack: I'm updating them both as fast as I can, while trying to also keep myself from getting burned out on them.

nikotehfox: Thanks, the goals I'm starting are more for my own development than anything else, really.

Mystique: Thanks, keep reading!

TheLastCrumpet: Thanks for your review, keep reading!

Krysta.M: Thanks!

DerangedxandxSarcastic: I know. :)

quiditch beater: Sorry, close but not cake. Have a cupcake!

Blissfullnightmare: /blushes and smiles/ Thanks!

da: Here you go! Keep enjoying!

Until next time!

Midnight Out.


	6. A Phoenix From Afar

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em.

This chapter was originally going to follow a different path, but I changed my mind. /shrugs/

Goal: 3,000 words or five pages.

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Six**

**A Phoenix From Afar**

Poke. Poke.

"Harry, Remus says that it's time to wake up."

"Hermione, leave me alone."

Harry glared at Hermione as she continued to poke his shoulder. The dream was already lost, he knew, but he still wanted to chase after the memory of Draco's arms surrounding him. The past week had been nothing but nightmares for him, one right after the other as memories of the Dursley's, thoughts of Voldemort, and what might happen if he ever saw Draco again whirled through his head. Thanks to that he had gotten very little sleep and even now was trying to ignore the rising irritation he felt.

The peace he had gotten from the locket had slowly disappeared until it was only a memory in the back of his mind, hidden under layers of dust and grime.

"Harry, it's past noon. Remus' made lunch." She looked at him beseechingly and he finally nodded and sat up, shaking the remnants of sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Smiling happily she bounced off to where a pile of books lay next to a conjured table, which sat next to the tent that Harry refused to sleep in.

Something about the enclosed space set off the _rabidus_ in the back of his mind. So, instead of sleeping in the tent, he slept under a lean-to that was situated against a tree, as far from the tent while remaining in the same clearing.

"Hurry up, Harry. I made that stew that you like." Remus' soft voice carried over to him with no problem. Harry noticed the look of confusion on Hermione's face as tilted her head. She must not have been able to hear the werewolf clearly. He stood up slowly and went to kneel next to him. The aroma that the food gave off made Harry's mouth water as he stared at the concoction that sat over the fire.

"How much longer?" He tapped a slightly elongated nail against his knee as he watched it bubble. Remus only chuckled.

"Just a few more minutes, but I don't blame you. This is one of the few things that doesn't make my mouth water." Harry nodded and plopped on the ground, green eyes seeing without any hindrances.

They had realized just the other day that he no longer needed the glasses that the Dursleys had given him. They no longer did anything for his vision and for that Harry was glad. They only annoyed him now.

"Harry, have you even opened that book yet?" Hermione questioned from where she was sitting at the table, eyebrow raised as Harry smiled sheepishly.

"No. I can't stand to even look at it yet. Just, give me time, 'Mione. Please?" She sighed, but nodded anyway.

"Alright, but don't wait to long or I'll look through it myself, regardless of how you feel." Harry barely even moved his head. Remus was stirring the pot again and the smell was almost to die for.

Almost.

"Have you considered how your going to destroy the horcrux?" This time her voice was a bit petulant and Harry looked over his shoulder at her.

"Hermione, you're the one who has been reading the books nonstop. I have no idea what we're supposed to be doing." Her brown eyes widened as she blinked in thought. Harry had to keep himself from hitting his head in irritation as she did so.

"I forgot." This time Harry did growl as he stared at her. How could Hermione forget anything?

"Well, maybe you should start reading some more." He snarled and the lines in her face hardened.

"Harry James Potter. You, of all people, should realize how hard this is for all of us right now. It doesn't help that you seem intent on making it worse. So what if my thoughts wondered? Forgive me for missing Ron!" She huffed and crossed her arms.

Harry frowned and Remus spoke quietly, as if to thin air.

"I miss Sirius."

A wave of guilt crashed through Harry as he looked between them. He had taken them from the people that they cared the most about and essentially stranded them in the middle of nowhere. They had stayed with him, yes, but he was not even human anymore. He didn't deserve anything that they could possibly do to help him anymore. There was not one damn thing that he could do to make it up to them either. They were stuck out here with him out of pity and he knew it better than they could ever understand.

His gaze finally ended up on the ground between his feet as his shoulders hunched inward.

"I'm sorry," He muttered quietly, "You guys can go back to the Manor. I'll stay here and keep doing what I was born to do." Harry knew that there should be some bitterness in his voice, but not one ounce of feeling was in any of that sentence.

"Oh, Harry. You miss Draco too. How could we forget-"

"No, Hermione. Don't worry about it. Just go back to them. They're probably still with Draco."

Several seconds of silence passed. Harry's mood slowly darkened until no light shone through. He would have to look for the remaining horcruxes on his own and eventually destroy them.

Harry looked up sharply as Hermione tackled him from one side and hung tightly to his arm and torso. Her hair clogged up his nose but he couldn't bring himself to care as he wrapped his arms around her.

"We're not leaving you, Harry." Remus patted his shoulder and smiled at him gently.

"Remus is right, Harry. We're not going to leave you. We still have to destroy the horcruxes, eliminate Voldemort, and _Fawkes_?!" Harry blinked at her, but her eyes were on the table with her books. He turned his head slowly and saw Fawkes, sitting there regally with a piece of parchment in his beak.

Harry stood up slowly and walked over to the phoenix and ran his hand down the bright bird's side. Warmth filled his hand and arm and images swam across his vision.

"Why would Dumbledore send Fawkes?" Hermione reached forward and took the note out of his beak. Remus read over her shoulder.

"Not Dumbledore. Draco. He sent Fawkes." Harry continued to pet the fiery feathers after the images ended. He turned to look at Hermione and frowned when her skin slowly grew ashen as she read. She finally looked at him and handed him the parchment with one, trembling hand.

"This is from a book. Someone tore this out of a book. And it's about the _rabidus_ toxin." Harry's eyes widened and he slowly started to read, one hand always moving down Fawkes' red wings. There, among the information regarding the werewolves habits, history, and temperament, lay a few paragraphs that Harry reluctantly read.

'_Not much is actually known about the rabidus. Although stories and first hand accounts do contribute to the authenticity of their existence. It appears that the victim is usually chosen because of someone else's disposition toward them._

_Someone suffering from a rabidus bite can only infect one other person, and that bite can be sold to the highest bidder, and often is. The victim is than ostracized because of his newly acquired temper, worse during the first twenty four hours. They usually realize how easy it would be to hurt the person that they care the most about, so usually they run and hide in forests and the like, feeling the most comfortable there._

_But it is a little known fact that the same person that caused them to run also holds the key their moral and ethical sanity. After the first twenty four hours after the bite that person will cause them to run because they fear themselves, but, acting as a balance, after that time period that very same person will be one of the few who will be able to bring them back to a calm temperament when anger threatens the rabidus._'

The parchment fluttered to the floor and Harry fell to his knees as a roaring filled his ears.

Hermione could go back to Ron. Remus could finally spend time with Sirius again.

_I can go back to Draco._

That single thought fled through his mind in a mantra and he was barely aware of reaching for his bag and pulling out the book that Hermione had given him to read. Never once moving from his position he skimmed the information laying in those pages for what felt like only minutes but the movement of the sun told him was actually hours. Nothing broke through his concentration as more information than ever before entered his head.

'_...their temperament sets them apart from werewolves by the sheer fact that they can be set off by the littlest of things..._

_...the first few hours are always the worst, as they are even more liable to lose their cool and destroy any connection to anyone that they cared about in the slightest..._

_...the bite is usually used as a form of revenge, as the are eventually ostracized and isolated from their communities..._

_...victim most probably runs in fear of hurting their family and loved ones..._

_...possibility that they recognize the danger they pose to others and themselves in some corner of their enraged mind..._

_...there is no none cure for the bite, but there is a theory among researchers, believed to be foolish and nonsensical by most, that states that they can be calmed by the one that they care the most about..._

_...usually a beloved family member or even a pet to some, but it still holds that the probability of them being calmed by anyone is fairly slim to most people..._

_...optimists prefer to believe that it can be done and state that it has been done before..._

_...research is still being done into the subject of the rabidus toxin and the likelihood of some sort of cure, however temporary it might be._'

Harry looked up to see that the sun was on the brink of setting and there was only a few pages left, all of which were blank, left there for notes to be written by whoever read this book. Tearing one out and grabbing Hermione's everlasting quill he quickly jotted down the notes that he would need to read one more time before he made a decision.

He was stopped when someone thrust a bowl of savory smelling stew under his nose. He looked up to see worried amber eyes and he gratefully took the bowl, practically inhaling it before handing it back.

"What did you find out?" Hermione asked from her spot near the fire, the light making it seem as if her hair was aflame itself. He spotted Fawkes sitting serenely in the fire and couldn't keep a grin off of his face as he handed the list of notes over to Remus.

"We can go back. That page, from where ever Draco got it, was right. We can go back to them and I don't have to worry about hurting one of them in anger." Remus nodded in agreement and handed the parchment over to Hermione, who's eyes slowly widened.

"According to you it's only a theory." She looked up at him, but Harry only shrugged.

"It's stated as a theory in one book, but in the other it's true." Harry's grin slowly died as Hermione only continued to frown.

"I don't know. We need to do more research." She bit her bottom lip and even Harry saw the depressed slump to both of their shoulders.

"Hermione, please. I promise that if anyone even mentions that I might be a danger to anyone I'll leave. I promise. You can even read the book before I send any notice to Draco, but please. I need to see him again. I need to know that he doesn't hate me." Harry felt something splash against his closed fist and he stared at the drop of moisture in wonder, vaguely aware of the ones that fell from his eyes and down his cheeks.

"Alright, fine. Send Fawkes with a message that we'll meet them in the kitchens at Grimmauld place tonight. We'll decide what to do from there."

"Thank you so much, Hermione." Harry went and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face into her neck to stifle back the tears that were looming in his eyes.

"Go write your letter to Draco, Harry."

Harry nodded and went to go do just that.

**DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP**

2090 words and only about four pages. I am seriously not up to it today.

I blame the plot bunny hopping around in my head. I need to feed it soon, or I won't be able to concentrate at all, so that means, my lovely readers, that there will be a new story coming out from me in a couple of days.

Most likely Thursday. I don't do much work on Wednesday, its Ghost Hunter night and tomorrow is the premier of the new season of Ghost Hunters International.

One last thing, I will, from now on, be responding to reviews via private message. If there is something in one that I think should be addressed to everyone, I will post it, most likely after I have gained the permission of the reviewer.

Thank you, and keep reading.

Midnight Out.


	7. Aurora's Tale

Disclaimer: I'm getting tired of saying this...I no own them.

Note: This chapter covers Aurora's past and why she was in Azkaban, dark chapter that includes mentions of rape and incest, nothing graphic, thankfully, just mentions. Very hard chapter to write, though. /shudders/

**Goal:** 3,000 words or 5 pages

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Seven**

**Aurora's Tale**

Draco sipped his tea calmly, all the while eying Aurora Willowcry from where she sat across from him. Weasel and Black had shown up roughly a half hour ago and the petite woman was filling them in on what she had found out. Weasel's face was slowly lighting up and even Black was looking hopeful.

Draco was trying not to be. His decaying flesh was hurting more as the minutes passed, the spell having worn off a few short hours ago. The spell had to be renewed before he went to bed, or he would be having another sleepless night, tormented by the missing warmth.

"Ms. Willowcry?" He finally spoke up and she nodded reluctantly.

"Aurora, are you sure that you want to tell them?" A pained look spread across her face, as if she was removing the last barrier between herself and the world in the worst way imaginable.

Draco wasn't quite sure how that would feel, but he knew that he didn't want to find out.

"Yes, Sirius. I'm sure." By the time that she looked at Draco a few seconds later her eyes were as hard as packed earth and he slowly set his cup down, tea unfinished and still warm.

She sighed deeply, shoulders slowly relaxing as his eyes traced her minute movements. One hand grasped her pale green robes in a move reminiscent of a crab scrambling across the bottom of an ocean looking for food as she took a single deep breath.

"Father was an only child, my mother had an older brother. My uncle, Tomitis Borint. He was the heir to the Borint name, which included, unfortunately, Wizarding World Communications Center," Here she sighed and shook her head, "He ran it into the ground."

"Was that the only reason that you did not like him?" Draco watched her steadily and noticed that one hand gently touched her shoulder again before continuing, "Or was there something else?"

Black glared at him but Weasley only put a hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly enough that the older man closed his mouth with a snap, "Sirius, let Draco take care of this." Black nodded slowly and only patted Willowcry's shoulder once. She continued.

"My mother's relationship was always strained with Uncle Tomitis. Ever since I was a child, my father never understood it either, there was nothing in their past that could possibly describe the amount of hatred that they shared for each other, although it was slightly more... violent on my uncle's side." She paused again and took a ragged breath, Black touched her elbow and the nundu on her arm seemed to purr silently, acid green breath wrapping around her pale arm.

"Aurora, I could always finish this." She glared at him.

"I am not a weakling anymore, Sirius. I can do this on my own." Black nodded and leaned back into his seat, tapping his fingers impatiently on the arm of the chair. Weasley came and stood behind Draco's right shoulder and he approved of it.

"Please, go on, Ms. Willowcry." He steepled his fingers and gazed at her through calm eyes, that seemed to help her regain her composure.

"It's Aurora, Draco. I am telling you the reason that I owe Sirius something much more than a Life Debt." Brown eyes looked into his calmly.

"Alright, Aurora. Do continue." He smirked at her, she returned it.

"Several times as I was growing up Uncle Tomitis would mention something to me mother in passing that sometimes left her in tears. I often wondered at this, but she never gave an explanation to either my father or myself, so we would always drop it and never asked about it. That seemed to be a greater mistake than we had originally predicted. The year I turned fifteen, my mother died of cancer that corroded her magical core until it could no longer sustain her life, leaving my father and myself heartbroken. Uncle Tomitis laughed at her funeral."

She remained impassive now, Black glared at the floor. Draco could feel Weasley's strained fingers on his shoulder. Draco glanced at him.

"I remember the name Borint now, they're my mum's cousins, twice removed. He attended the funeral with mum," At this Weasley closed his eyes slowly as his voice lowered in pitch, "Every now and again she'll tell us about it, after we've done something stupid and foolish, usually the twins are the ones to hear it or see the newspaper clipping she keeps. Tomitis Borint, when it came his turn to speak, he just stood there, looking into her coffin for several minutes, before laughing like a madman, he did," His eyes snapped open to look at Draco, "His own parents threw him out and told him they never wanted to see him again."

"You know this, yet you had never heard of the WWCC before or Aurora Willowcry?" A slim eyebrow raised slowly in disbelief and Weasley smiled sheepishly.

"The only reason I remember it now is I spotted his name on Sirius' family tree a little while ago." He admitted and looked back at the two across the desk from them. Willowcry nodded at him.

"I remember them, they were appalled and outraged at his behavior," A small smile spread across her face before it disappeared again, "Uncle Tomitis-"

"How can you still can him your uncle?" Black shouted suddenly as he shot up from his seat and glared at nothing in particular.

"Because, despite what happened, he was my uncle. Now, sit Sirius. Before I make you." Grumbling still, he did as he was told.

"Now, my grandparents, my mother's parents, died shortly after that, their hearts couldn't take the loss of their only children, having no contact with Uncle Tomitis after the funeral. They never changed their will, though, so when they died, he inherited WWCC. He almost destroyed it in his greed," She snarled suddenly, hitting the arm of her chair as the nundu on her arm twisted around in a caricature of her rage, "When I turned nineteen, he came to the house where my father and I exiled ourselves after my mother's death. Father was at his ministry job, doing his best to be both father and mother to me. I was at home alone, reading my mother's favorite book. He came in, unannounced and sat across from me." She frowned and looked like the tide had rolled away after a sunset like no other.

"Aurora?" Draco prompted as gently as he could.

"I can't figure out how to go on. The words won't come." She looked at him seriously and he nodded. Some things could not be conveyed verbally.

"Would you like a pensieve?"

"Yes." He picked up his wand and tapped the handle of the largest drawer, pulling out an elaborately designed silver basin. She took it gratefully and began pulling out a stream of mercurial memory and deposited it into the penseive then handed it back to him. He met her eyes in a long stare before diving in, Weasley right behind him.

A den resembling a Roman study formed around them. Willowcry lounged gracefully on a divan, pale arms undecorated as she stared in obvious shock at the man entering the room through a door across from her. Tomitis Borint, looking like he had in the newspaper articles after his death smiled maliciously at her and her eyes narrowed in response as he sat down in an armchair a few feet in front of her, across a low sitting coffee table. His coal black eyes glittered venomously and his black hair looked even greasier than his godfather's ever had.

He screamed of an evil just as insane as Voldemort. Draco tensed in response to his presence, Weasley only shook his head.

"What are you doing here, Uncle Tomitis? Father is at work." Her voice was cold as she gently put the book on the table. Borint grinned at her.

"I'm not here to see Borealis, I'm here to see you." His voice could be compared to silk sheets that were better off kept in a closet where no one could see their hideous colors.

"You've seen me, now you can leave." Willowcry picked up her book, throwing her long auburn hair over one shoulder as she set about ignoring him, turning a page with faked interest.

"You look like your mother," She stilled and he continued, "But with your father's jaw and cheeks. She was always a delicate creature."

Willowcry raised her eyes to gaze at him in challenge and Draco could see the fire that she would use when ruling the Underground with an iron fist nearly a decade and a half later.

"What do you want, Uncle Tomitis?" Her wand appeared in her hand and she twirled it lazily in her fingers.

"Have you ever wondered why there are gaps in your memory?" Her fingers stilled as she looked at him calculatingly.

"What gaps?"

"From before Hecate died." This time it was Borint's wand that was being twirled in a nonchalant manner.

"Don't speak my mother's name." Willowcry snarled, anger transforming her face into something years older then the nineteen that she was.

"Darling, Aurora, how did you ever cope with her death? You two were ever so close. Especially after she let me into your bedroom during that week I stayed with you when you were twelve."

She stilled, eyes widening as they darted back and forth, searching for that elusive memory gap. She apparently didn't find it as she returned to glaring at him, this time with her wand in her hand pointing unerringly in his direction.

"Liar." She spat. He grinned, unrepentant.

"How do you know?"

"There is no blank spot in my memory. Mother and I were always close."

"If you say so, darling." He leaned back, smiling at her easily.

Draco almost vomited at the sight of his pearly white teeth. Weasley leaned against him and paused the scene with a wave of his wand.

"They should be black and rotted, they should." He muttered in Draco's ear.

"Yes, unfortunately they are not." He nodded in agreement and the other teen backed off, starting the scene off again with another wave of his wand. Willowcry screamed in frustration.

"Don't call me that, bastard!" Her fingers were pale and tight around the wand.

"I will call you anything I want to." Borint shrugged. Willowcry's voice and eyes skewered him.

"What do you want?" His grin turned downright evil and his eyes sparked with something that Draco had only ever seen in Voldemort's eyes.

"I want you like I had your mother, before she married Borealis." Willowcry shot a curse, but the blue of _protego_ protected him from it. The spell hit a Roman vase and it broke, shattered into a million pieces as a cedar wand fell to the ground.

"Damn you!" The enraged shout echoed throughout the room and Borint only smirked smugly as the Body Bind wrapped around her and she fell onto the floor next to the divan, still shouting obscenities at him until he shot a _silencio_ at her.

"Your mother loved me dearly, we slept in the same room because she demanded it of our parents. They agreed somewhat hesitantly, seeing as I was nine years older than her." Borint crouched next to her on the ground, running his fingers through her hair, ignoring the disgusted glare that he received as she tried to snatch her head away from his hands. He stilled her, tugging on her hair sharply.

"Don't move," Borint growled before continuing with a smile, as if he were remembering happier times, "When Hecate turned five, she was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen, including the ones that I...dated at school."

The _silencio_ broke as Aurora's rage abounded and made her magic stronger, "The ones you took advantage of, you mean?" She spat in his face and he happily slapped her.

"I guess you could call it that. Your mother became that for me, rather contently once she learned how good it could be."

"You _raped my mother_?" Draco could see where the Body Bind was starting to crumble, shooting off sparks in the midday sun.

"Oh, you can't rape the willing." Borint stated cheerfully. Weasley gagged in the back of his throat but didn't pause the scene again, standing as entranced as Draco knew he was.

"You bastard! How could you do that to my mother! I'm going to kill you!" Sparks continued to shower the air as her struggles increased and more threats, slowly growing more and more graphic until even Draco was wincing in pity.

"Calm down." With a whispered word ropes bound her but she continued to struggle valiantly.

"You fucking bloody bastard! How could they ever give you control of the business!"

"Now, now. No need to get so angry." His hands traveled down her body, touching and rubbing as she fought harder to get away.

"I'll be as angry as I want to be! Get out! Now!" She bit one of his hands as they came to close to her mouth and smiled as he slapped her again, this time causing her to bite her lip.

"You should have known better, Uncle." With a sudden light the ropes disintegrated. Borint stumbled back as she stood up slowly.

"What-how-"

"The wards on this house. When a master or mistresses blood is spilled, any spells against them become void and useless." She slowly picked up her wand from the floor as he grabbed a letter opener that had been sitting innocently on the coffee table the whole time.

He rushed at her with a maddened yell, all sanity lost as she cast the Killing Curse. They landed in a tangle, both unmoving as blood slowly seeped across the floor around them, silver shining from the pale flesh of her shoulder.

Draco shot back into his chair with a gasp, breathing harshly as Weasley handed Willowcry the pensieve to retrieve her memory. His blue eyes remained icy as she took the silvery stream back, touching it to her temple.

Weasley was finally learning something, it seemed.

Black patted her shoulder in a comforting manner and she only glanced at him once before returning her brown irises back onto him. Draco tensed his feet and took a soothing breath. Willowcry took up the narration as Draco put the basin back where it went.

"It was several hours before we were found. By than I had lost enough blood that it was days before I woke up, that might have been partially shock, though. No one would believe me, seeing as it was during the first war with Voldemort and I had cast an Unforgivable. My father believed me and I gave him a copy of the memory, to keep safe in case I was obliviated. He inherited the Wizarding World Communications Center from Uncle Tomitis for he had never married and had any heirs himself. My father brought it back to it's previous prestige and honor and kept it there until he died a natural death seven years ago. Since then, I have not only brought even more to the enterprise, but I have risen through the ranks of the underground to where I am now. It's undisputed leader and overlord."

"Truly remarkable, Aurora. You will definitely be able to help Harry in a way that I cannot." She smiled slightly and the nundu shifted lazily on her arm, complacent once again.

"I have a question." Draco looked at Weasley curiously.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"What about the memory gap?"

Draco nodded once, "That is rather puzzling."

Willowcry simply raised an eyebrow at them before smirking and laughing to herself. Black looked at her in concern, she waved him off flippantly.

"There was no memory loss. Since my advantageous departure from Azkaban I have consulted multitudes of experts on the subject, they are all unanimous in the decision."

The older man sighed gratefully and smiled gently at her. She stood up to leave, opening her mouth to speak when Fawkes reappeared on Draco's shoulder with a burst of flame and a short lived cry as a note drifted to the desk, Harry's messy scrawl staring back up at them.

"Go on, Draco, it's from Harry. Maybe he's agreed to come home." Weasley looked at him, hand sitting on his shoulder as he picked it up to an easier viewing height, waving Willowcry back into her seat.

"This concerns you as well, now." He supplied shortly as he started to read.

_'Draco,_

_I'm choosing to believe that what you sent me is true and that however you found it will be explained eventually. Amazingly it was Hermione that took the longest to convince, I spent the afternoon reading a book that she had bought me about the rabidus before she would agree to go back._

_I'm still not completely positive that I'm safe to be around, but the information matches between the book and what you sent me. I'm greedy, you're rubbing off on me, and I want to come back to you. The nightmares have been unbearable lately. Yes, I have nightmares. Horrible ones at that. Hermione says that you relax me from my 'hero complex' so that I can sleep peacefully._

_I don't care what it is. We're going to meet you in the kitchens at Grimmauld Place in two hours, so we can talk about this before making a final decision, although I don't have to make the choice at all, it's up to you now._

_And we all want an explanation on why Fawkes is with you and not Dumbledore._

_Harry'_

Draco stood up and smiled at all of them, too elated to care about masks and politics at that moment.

"We need to go to Grimmauld Place."

"Why?" Black asked suddenly and Draco handed him the note.

"Let's go, Ron, we'll meet these two there." Ronald Weasley looked at Draco in surprise, before nodding and following him to the fireplace.

"Alright, Draco, let's go get them."

Finally, his Gryffindor was coming home.

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP

3,022 words and roughly six and a half pages. Awesome. I surpassed my goal again!

This chapter wasn't as hard to write as I thought it would be, difficult yes, but not impossible.

I'm pushing it up by a chapter, seeing as something else won't pan out like I had hoped, don't ask, I've already forgotten what it was.

Now, if anyone wants to see anything particular in the upcoming chapters, let me know and I will gladly put it in if I can. I have to plan the interlude, which will be after chapter nine or ten, it will probably follow the reunion of either Remus and Sirius, or Hermione and Ron, maybe both.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Midnight Out


	8. Destruction of a Horcrux

Disclaimer: I own Aurora Willowcry, no one and nothing else.

My little brother got an ear ache Saturday night and I stayed up pretty late with him.

**Goal:** 2,500 words or 4 pages

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Eight**

**Destruction of a Horcrux**

Harry paced the clearing where their campsite was being cleared up by Hermione's useful knowledge of spells.

He had been doing that a lot lately it seemed, pacing that is. Physical activity of any kind calmed the constantly snarling _rabidus_ in the back of his mind and, unfortunately, he had yet to do any exercise or tree climbing today.

The full moon was still two and a half weeks ago, when the beast would scream it's loudest and Harry would be the most irritable, according to the books anyway, and unless the theory that Draco had worked, he would be working out a lot more often as the days progressed.

Picking up a branch that had fallen off of a sturdy maple, he started to viciously tear off the leaves and twigs as his pacing increased in ferocity. This was taking entirely too long. Why did Hermione make him wait two fucking hours before he could quiet the bloody beast in the back of his skull? Glaring at the back of her head he broke the branch in half and tossed it into the woods, picking up another one.

Remus had gone to pick up a few things in Diagon Alley that they needed and he would return before they set off together to Grimmauld Place. Harry knew that the werewolf would want to spend as much time as he could with Sirius and he was still feeling guilty about tearing them apart like that, same with Ron and Hermione.

Harry's fingers drifted to the white dragon pendant that hung around his neck and closed them around it tightly, it warmed in response. He missed Draco, the first person to really know what it was like for him at the Dursley's. He had been the first, besides Hermione and Ron, to force him to eat and go to bed, but he was the first to actually hold him and make him feel safe and that he was actually worth something other than as a tool against Tom Riddle and the Death Eaters.

There was nothing more that Harry wanted right now. He knew that if he wanted their relationship to last longer than the war, they would have to base it off of something other than that though, and lamented the fact.

Make no mistake about it, he loved Draco, and he was glad that his friends approved of the Slytherin. It was just that Harry wasn't sure how long they could make it as a couple, if Draco even thought of him in that way. Although he had to care about Harry in some way, why else would he let Harry sleep in his bed and take walks with him when he couldn't sleep because of his arm? Harry had to admit though, that most of the time he was just glad to be able to sleep without nightmares.

Because of his connection to Voldemort and his own past, Harry's nightmares could get pretty bad and it was only when he was being sheltered by Draco's arms that they didn't haunt him. He had become a light sleeper since coming to Malfoy Manor and always woke up when Draco got up in the middle of the night. For a blissful month and a half, nothing had plagued him while he slept.

They had attacked with a vengeance after he had fled the Manor estate though. In the past week and a half, he might have gotten maybe six hours of solid sleep all together. The product of this manifested in increased irritability that did not help in his current condition in the slightest. His hair was even messier than usual and his skin was sallow when it should have been tanned.

He didn't want Draco to see him like this. The blond was probably gorgeous as ever.

"Alright, done packing." Hermione's cheerful voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to look at her.

A smile lit up her face, but Harry could still see the signs strain that she had been under recently. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in and there were bags under her eyes from where she had stayed up with Harry when he couldn't sleep. A fresh wave of guilt and sorrow was pushed away and he pouted at her.

"We still have an hour and a half left until they're meeting with us at Grimmauld Place." He knew that it came out as a whine, but he couldn't bring himself to care at that moment.

Hermione tossed him a book on horcruxes, "Since you absolutely refused to study them in the last few weeks, have fun."

Harry glared mildly at her and resumed his pacing, flipping through the pages as he skimmed through the information presented in front of him, his mind miles away, focused on a pair of steel gray eyes and the emotions swirling in his chest.

He didn't doubt how he felt about Draco at all, and he was pretty sure that his feelings were returned in some degree, why else would the blond do what he had done? He had given Harry gifts, taken the time and effort to make him smile and laugh, had not ridiculed him about his past or Tom Riddle once since they had started their tentative truce at the Dursley's all those weeks ago.

Draco did have faults, everyone did, but Harry had not had much interaction with Draco when he was around other people, so Harry wasn't sure if he was still arrogant and a down right git or if he had really changed. Or maybe he just hadn't realized Draco's since of humor until recently and Draco had been trying to flirt with him for years.

A snort passed his lips as he turned a page, eyes going past the vague process of making a horcrux. Stopping a second later, he returned to that page and and read it with interest.

_'The process of making a horcrux to increase your mortality is currently unknown. All that we do know is that it involves a large amount of death-energy, energy created when a person dies, but is stronger if they were murdered. This energy is mainly accessed by necromancers and practitioners of necromancy. These arts are outlawed in the British Isles, but are practiced in Romania and surrounding countries.'_

That was really the only bit of useful information that he had right then. He closed the book and used his finger as a marker and brought the locket up to study it.

There was nothing special about it. There was an ornate 'S' engraved on it, but beyond that there was nothing to it that would tell anyone about the tranquil state that had descended on him for a day or two when he had first gotten it, before it had disappeared like the eye of the storm always passed over before everything got worse.

Harry sighed and put the book down so he could remove the locket that had not left his neck once since they had found it a few days ago and set it on a stump nearby.

He nearly screamed when a clamoring filled his ears and he fell to his knees. Covering his ears didn't help in the slightest, it was all in his head.

Yet, above all of that, above the screaming and the noise, a single voice screamed at him about destruction in fire. After a minute it quieted down to what it was before the locket left his skin. Harry blinked and Hermione's concerned questions rushed at him. He looked at her and she frowned while her lips became a thin, taut line.

"What fire will be able to destroy it?" He asked, head spinning as he pointed at the locket, reluctant to touch it until Voldemort's soul in it was destroyed. Hermione frowned and pointed her wand at it.

"_Incendio_." They watched it eagerly, wondering if it was really that simple. After a minute the flame disappeared to reveal charred stump and shining silver locket.

Nothing had happened.

"Dammit!" Harry banged his fist on the stump, pulling it back a minute later and shaking it to relieve the pain in the now sore limb. Hermione frowned and tapped her chin with her wand, lips pursed in thought this time.

"Let me check my books." With that she stood up and went to her satchel.

Harry remained to stare at the locket. Everything came down to this, to being able to destroy the items that housed pieces of Tom Riddle's soul. To be honest, Harry didn't know what to do. Right now he just wanted Draco and to go back to the Manor, but Draco might not want that. He had to prepare himself for that.

Hermione sat down next to him and pointed to a spell in her book. Harry looked at it before raising an eyebrow at her.

"Fiendfyre?" He asked in disbelief. She scoffed at him and glared.

"Yes, I don't like it, but it's the only way right now. The only ways I can think of that would destroy the soul in it would be Gryffindor's sword, which we don't have, as you can see, basilisk venom, which you used to destroy the diary so anything left of the basilisk is probably still at the school in the Chamber, or fiendfyre, which is very dangerous." She snapped her book shut with a huff.

"What is fiendfyre?" The question was timid and Harry winced when he realized how pathetic he sounded, but remained quiet. No one wanted to ever mess with an angry Hermione, the results were never very pretty. The glare she shot at him made him wince a second time and feel properly ignorant.

"It's a magical fire that will destroy anything it touches and there are very few ways to stop it once it starts going. It's said to have caused the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in America. No one knows how it was stopped or started then." He nodded after her lesson appropriately and she seemed appeased.

"So, are we going to use fiendfyre?" Harry propped his chin up on his arm and watched her curiously as she nibbled on her bottom lip for a minute.

"I don't want to, it's extremely dangerous to use, but if we want to get rid of it, and figure out how to destroy the other four, than we have to." Harry nodded and stood up.

"I'll toss it into the air so the only thing that the fire touches will be the locket. You can cast the spell." She nodded and stood up as well, retrieving her wand from her pocket.

He looked at the locket laying innocently in front of them. Harry really didn't want to even think about touching it again, not after the noise that he had suffered when he let go of it the first time. He took a deep breath.

"Harry? Hermione reached forward and gently touched his arm. His gaze shot to her. Smiling tensely he looked down at the piece of jewelry and picked it up. Glorious silence filled his ears. Even the _rabidus_ was silent, mirroring his awe and fear when it came to the piece of silver.

For a split second Harry remembered that werewolves were allergic to silver, but the thought passed and Harry tossed the locket into the air, the clamor returning ten times worse than before as he fell to his knees and covered his ears.

Suddenly he was in pain, burning from the inside out. He screamed once, before the sensation went as quickly as it appeared. He glanced at Hermione through a haze of tears, she looked at him as shock slid over her features. He glanced up and saw a bluish fire destroying the last of the horcrux, the screaming dieing down in his head to nothing but murmurs that were quieter then when he had removed the locket only fifteen minutes ago. The flames disappeared with a puff of smoke and the sky was clear again.

"It's gone." He rasped and stood up, wobbling slightly.

Hermione was next to him in a flash, steadying him with one hand and guiding him down to sit on the stump. He shot her a grateful smile, noticing that she had dropped her wand to help him, but not her book. His grin turned rueful. That was Hermione for you. She worried more about knowledge than anything else.

"We still have a little over a half an hour." The bushy-haired girl picked up her wand, casting a diagnosis spell on him with a muttered word.

"Now we know how to destroy them." Harry stated optimistically. She finished and stepped back to look at him curiously.

"Nothing is wrong with you. No injuries of any sort, internal or otherwise. What happened then? When you fell down and screamed?"

"I don't know. I think it had something to do with my connection to Voldemort." Hermione didn't even flinch at the name, only nodded as she pocketed her wand.

"Might be. That's something else to research."

"You just want an excuse to hide in your books when we get back. You know you're going to have to face Ron sooner or later." She blushed and Harry grinned.

"Wh-what do you mean?" His grin turned into a frown at the stutter.

"You like Ron, right?"

"Yes. As a friend." She looked every where but at him and Harry growled, the _rabidus_ reacting to the stimulant towards his growing irritation. Hermione blinked at him.

"You two like each other. Simple as that. And you need to do something about it before I knock both of your heads in." She gulped and nodded before her eyes turned to the ground again.

Remus returned then, breaking the tense moment that had sprung up around them.

"What happened while I was gone?" His lips turned upward and they answered his easy grin with ones of their own.

"Not much. Just destroyed a horcrux, you know, the usual." Harry waved a hand flippantly and grabbed his satchel, Hermione doing the same.

"You two ready?" Remus asked and Harry paused, looking around the clearing one last time, taking in all the scents that he had become used to.

In the past week and a half, this place had become home to him. The sound of birds filled his ears and Harry looked to the tree that he had chosen to build a tree house in when he started to think about staying here permanently. If Draco didn't want him back, than he would come back here and stay away from people that he might hurt in a fit of anger. He would have Hermione teach him how to brew the necessary potions and eliminate Tom Riddle. He could go to Diagon Alley under disguise if he needed something.

He looked back at Remus, keeping the back up plan in a corner of his mind, and nodded. They disapparated with a _crack_.

Grimmauld Place, with it's dark windows and decaying structure appeared in front of them and Harry took a deep breath before opening the front door. They dropped their bags next to the door and hung up their coats.

"It feels odd to be back here." Hermione muttered. Remus nodded.

"Yes. It makes me remember how Sirius complained about wanting to be let out." He murmured back and Harry followed them to the kitchens slowly. He vaguely heard someone moving around, most likely pacing. He shrugged, decided it was Kreacher, and slowly wrapped his fingers around the dragon hanging against his collarbone again.

He looked up as the sound of pacing stopped and frowned when he couldn't see over or around the other two.

"Hermione!" Ron's strangled voice met his ears and he grinned when the redhead bodily picked up his friend and twirled her away. Maybe they wouldn't need their heads bashed in after all. The same thing happened to Remus in a whirlwind of his godfather's and the werewolve's laughter.

The grin fell from his face when he saw Draco's gray eyes fill with happiness and his hand fell from the pendent in awe.

"Harry?"

Harry sprinted across the room and leaped into Draco's arms, crying out in sheer relief as silence filled his mind as the _rabidus_ fell quiet, contented to be back with who he belonged with. He smiled happily as his heart almost burst with joy.

Draco looked almost as bad as he did.

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP

2,753 words and a little over five full pages. Awesome.

Hope ya'all liked the chapter, I know I'm not very happy with the majority of it.

Note: Yes, Aurora is there, but no one notices her. She's being sneaky and hiding in a corner until she can jump out and scare someone.

Midnight Out.


	9. New Housemate

Disclaimer: I do not own HP, but I do own Aurora Willowcry.

Note: Sorry about the late update, mega computer problems. Also, this chapter skips between their POV's randomly. I actually changed this message five times before I made up my mind, but there is a mature scene at the end. If you don't want to read it, ignore it after Harry says, "Only if you kiss me again." It isn't actual sex and I think it's more 'awww' worthy than anything else, considering that I didn't describe much.

**Goal:** 3,000 words or 5 pages

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Nine**

**New Housemate**

Draco gathered the leaping bundle of black hair as close as he could and buried his nose into the messy locks. All he could comprehend at this moment was that Harry was back with him, nestled in his arms as if he belonged there. Which to Draco, he did. It took a couple of minutes for him to realize that Harry was trembling and making odd gasping noises.

"Harry?" Draco sat down slowly, never letting Harry go as he sat at the table. There was another half-sob and Harry pulled away to look him in the face, eyes glowing as a smile spread across his face.

"It's quiet, Draco, that _thing_ is quiet."

The room fell silent for several minutes before there was a snorting in the corner of the room. Hermione was the only one who jumped, finally looking away from Ron's face.

"I don't mean to say I told you so, Young Malfoy, but I told you so." Draco just raised his eyebrow as Willowcry stepped out from the shadows. Harry stood up from Draco's lap, but grasped his hand tightly.

"I thought I smelled someone else." He stated simply and Aurora nodded her head solemnly.

"Yes, the _rabidus_ has enhanced senses."

"From it's relation to the werewolf."

"Very good, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you."

"I am Aurora Willowcry, head of Wizarding World Communications-," Hermione gasped suddenly and Ron had to guide her to a seat. Draco squeezed Harry's hand tightly, smirking to himself when there was a firm squeeze back, "- and leader of the Wizarding World's underground and blackmarket."

"Interesting credentials." Aurora smiled at Harry's ambiguous reply.

"You have no idea, Mr. Potter."

"Harry, please, Miss Willowcry."

"As long as you call me Aurora." Her smile turned brilliant and Harry nodded as he returned it.

"Of course." Aurora took a seat next to a hyperventilating Hermione.

"'Mione, calm down." Draco chuckled quietly under his breath as a single bead of sweat rolled down Ron's face. It was better than the torrent it would have been two months ago, and he knew it.

"How can I calm down?! This woman is the reason I can attend Hogwarts at all! I've always admired her, Ron!"

"Hermione, she's staying at Malfoy Manor for the time being. As long as she accepts my invitation, of course."

"I would love to stay at your manor, Young Malfoy." Draco nodded as his heart stuttered to a brief stop as Harry sat down next to him and squeezed his hand one more time. Hermione's breathing reached new speeds and Ron helplessly patted her on the back. Across from Draco, Remus started to chuckle along with Harry. Sirius looked at Draco in confusion, who could only raise an eyebrow and tug Harry's hand to get his attention.

"What do you find so funny?" Harry looked at him with mirth shining in his gaze before breaking into more musical peals of laughter. It was the werewolf who responded.

"She stinks of fear."

"Why are you laughing then, Moony?" Sirius looked ready to go over there to help calm her down.

"Wait, Sirius, you have to know why this is so funny." Harry stifled his laughter and held up a hand, eyes never leaving Draco's face for more than a few seconds.

"Talk, now." No wonder his animagus form was a dog. Harry finally looked away from Draco's relieved face, even if he was the only one who could tell that he was relieved in the slightest.

"In first year we encountered a three headed dog, devil's snare, murderous chess pieces, and poison. Second year she was petrified by a basilisk. Third year it was you, who we thought was out to kill me. Fourth year nothing really happened to her, it was all me. Fifth year it was Umbitch, I mean Umbridge-," Draco winced at that, Harry leaned against him slightly, "-and the Department of Mysteries. Finally, last year it was the attack on Hogwarts." Harry paused, a giggle passing his lips that he strove to stifle as Hermione started to smell of full blown panic.

"What's the point?" His godfather asked, confusion spread across his face. Harry rolled his eyes.

"She's seen things that would make grown wizards and witches shit themselves, but she's starting to have a panic attack over meeting Willowcry." Draco chuckled quietly to himself as he explained it to the older man. After a minute Sirius started to laugh loudly. Slowly, the scent of terror dissipated as Hermione started giggling as well. Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, what have you been up to?" Harry suddenly crowed with delight as he jumped up, Remus chuckled at his reaction.

"We destroyed the locket, Ron! It's gone! R.A.B was Sirius' brother, Regulus Arcturus Black!" Ron paled and stood up slowly to stop Harry's jumping with one hand.

"You destroyed the locket? That leaves how many more?" Draco frowned as Hermione grinned triumphantly. What were they going on about?

"That leaves four. Hufflepuffs goblet, something of Ravenclaws, Nagini, and one other thing."

"Really? Blimey, the Goblet could be anywhere! And we can't touch Nagini yet."

"Exactly, Ron. We need to do some research."

"Merlin, 'Mione, more research?"

"That's all she's been doing for weeks and-"

"What in Salazar's name are you talking about?" Draco burst out suddenly, glaring at the three who were standing in the middle of the room and distracted from their previous conversation. Hermione nibbled on her bottom lip before nodding.

"Remus knows, but we had to tell him when Harry started to yell about them during an episode with the _rabidus_."

"I guess you could tell Sirius and Draco now, Miss Willowcry too, as a matter of fact. She might be able to help with her connections." Harry nodded at Ron's words and turned to the others, his face a mask of solemnity in place.

"Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort, actually does have a key to near immortality." Everyone sat up straighter, but not Remus as he leaned against Sirius' side, obviously glad to be in the know for once.

"That wasn't just a story that he told to the Death Eaters-," Draco ignored the flash of pain in his left arm from the mark as he spoke those words, "-to keep them in line and loyal to his cause?"

Harry shook his head slowly, "Only partly. His 'key' is imperfect. They're horcruxes."

"You said he had five? Any more than two and you go crazy." Aurora snorted and Harry swung his gaze to her disbelieving one.

"He had seven total. One was made while he was still in Hogwarts. I destroyed it my second year with basilisk venom."

"That's brilliant." The nundu on her arm breathed green poison again and seemed to purr.

"Unfortunately we don't know about the other ones. We don't know where Hufflepuff's goblet is or what item of Ravenclaw he used. Nagini we know is with Voldemort, but the last one we have no lead on. Just that it might have been formed that night my parents were killed." Ron and Hermione resumed their seats, as did Harry next to Draco.

Aurora stood up and headed to the door, "I will set my advisors on it as soon as I can. I will see you at dinner."

"Thank you, Aurora." Harry smiled at the woman as she went over the threshold.

"No, thank you, Harry."

DMHP

Dinner had been several hours ago and everyone had been shown to their rooms, the Weasley's, except Ron, had left not long after Harry had run to wherever he had gone. Hermione and Ron had opted to go for a walk in the Rose Gardens and Draco was watching Harry as he kept an eye on them through the study window. He wasn't ready to go to bed yet, he was afraid that any moment Harry would be snatched away from him, but he wasn't going to admit it aloud.

"Why didn't you tell me about the horcruxes before?" He asked suddenly and Harry barely even stiffened.

"To tell you the truth, they had slipped my mind. I didn't want to think about those things when I was with you." Draco frowned at the honest words. What was that supposed to mean?

"Why is that?" Harry sighed and turned around slowly to lean against the window pane, gaze downcast as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I didn't want you to think that I wasn't worth the trouble." Draco had to strain to hear the words but he did hear them and he frowned in further confusion.

"What does that mean?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"It means that I was afraid that you wouldn't like me at all if you knew what I have to go through."

Draco stood up and walked over to Harry's smaller frame, pulling him against his chest and laying his chin in the dark locks. He felt Harry stiffen in his arms, but the best in his abdomen refused to let go so he tightened his arms until Harry sighed and leaned against him a bit more.

"Is that all that's bothering you?" He asked tenderly.

"No, but it's a major thing." Harry replied softly. Draco chuckled as the snake around his neck animated and moved to his ear, slithering past Harry's astonished eyes.

"I told you we would find him, Little Malfoy." It sounded smug and Draco rolled his eyes at it.

"I didn't understand a word that it said. Why is that?" The smaller teen asked curiously and Draco stepped back until he felt the edge of the chair against the backs of his knees. He sat down and pulled an unresisting Harry into his lap.

"It's a Malfoy heirloom. It makes sense that you can't understand it." He grinned at Harry, whose turn it was to roll his eyes and lay his head on the offered shoulder, some things he wouldn't even try to understand when it came to the Malfoy Heir, and this was one of those things.

He shifted in Draco's embrace, mildly uncomfortable to be surrounded by four walls, but just being with Draco helped relief a lot of the uneasiness he had been feeling. The sensation went away after a minute and Harry smiled softly to himself as he tilted his head to hear Draco's heartbeat.

He had missed this, although their relationship hadn't involved prolonged hand holding. This was actually one of the few times that Draco had pulled him into his lap and it, in a weird way, made Harry happy. Draco didn't show emotion, none that most people could see anyway, and Harry was sometimes surprised that he was the only one who had always been able to read the blond on some level.

Draco was still a scaredy cat, but the events on the tower last year had changed some essential part of him. Harry knew this and Draco knew this, and no one else needed to know.

"You're tired." Draco's smooth voice entered his ear and Harry's abdomen warmed as lithe fingers started to draw random shapes on his stomach.

"So are you, you smell of it." Draco stiffened.

"Excuse me for being so worried about you that I can't even sleep." Harry looked up to see the other teen's face had closed off even more than usual. He sighed softly.

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I was worried too and the thing in my head wouldn't shut up." Draco's face softened and he moved a hand to cradle Harry's face gently.

"The _rabidus_ venom wouldn't let you sleep?" He asked tenderly and Harry blushed as more heat pooled in his lower stomach.

"It kept screaming out its hatred in the back of my mind." He muttered and Draco pulled him closer, if that was even possible.

"You need to go to bed." Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought.

"Draco, if you smell, I _stink_." A deep chuckle emitted from between pink lips and Harry blushed again.

"Then go take a shower." Draco started to let go, Harry knew that he was reluctant to do so, but panic still filtered into his mind and he clung to Draco with a whimper. A roaring similar to when he let go of the locket filled his ears and he couldn't hear anything past that for several minutes.

"Harry?" Draco's concerned voice finally came past that, but all he could comprehend for several long minutes was the intense need to remain with Draco.

"No," He gasped out, "Don't leave me. Don't go anywhere." For a brief second he was afraid of sounding clingy, but moments later he couldn't bring himself to care.

"But you're about to go take a shower." Draco's voice was weak and Harry barely held back tears as he curled as close to the blond as he could. The screaming in the back of his head was quieting again, but Harry was afraid that it would come back if he pulled away.

"Please, Draco, I don't want it to come back." Draco looked at the small teen in his lap and felt like he had been punched in the gut with a brick. It was partly his fault that Harry felt like that in the first place. If he hadn't been such a bloody prat to him for six years than Harry wouldn't be so upset about him caring for him, which had resulted in him running in the first place. Draco resisted the urge to bite his bottom lip as the messed up thoughts ran though his mind.

"Alright. I'll take a shower with you." Draco could resist the temptation that Harry's body would present, right? He was both a Slytherin and a Malfoy.

Draco swallowed heavily as Harry climbed out of his lap, keeping their hands linked as they walked into the bedroom to retrieve their change of clothes and then into the connected bathroom. Never before had they been in here at the same time and Draco's nerves felt raw as Harry's wand tapped the shower head. Streams of warm water filled the cubicle and Harry turned to look at Draco, both of them still fully clothed. Emerald eyes were filled with anxiety.

"You don't have to, you know, join me. You can just sit out here and I'll be fine." Harry's fingers worried the hem of his shirt and Draco stepped forward and removed his glasses.

"I want to join you." Harry nodded and turned away, pulling off his clothes in a rush before jumping into the shower and behind the frosty glass. Draco undressed a bit more leisurely in an attempt to build his resolve not to touch Harry.

After a minute, and several deep breaths, he stepped under the warm water and shut the glass behind him. Harry glanced at him over his shoulder, a bit peeved. Draco frowned and tried to ignore the hardening in his cock.

"You moved my shampoo." He stated a bit petulantly and pouted. The 'a brick chest landed in my stomach' feeling returned and Draco pressed his chest to Harry's back so that he could reach the shelf and pull the bottle in question down while he also did his best to keep his arousal from touching Harry.

Harry was doing his best to ignore the feeling that was pulling at his forming erection as Draco pressed up against him and handed him his shampoo with a slight chuckle and husky mutter. He ended up frowning, though, as he started to lather up his hair. The muscles in his arms hurt, but they hadn't bothered him at all before now. After a second he pulled his arms down and rubbed one shoulder as he winced.

"Arms hurt?" Draco's tender question made him blush as he nodded.

"Yeah, I don't know why, either." Draco just chuckled and took the shampoo off of the shelf in front of Harry.

"Here, let me. Just start cleaning the rest of yourself." Draco's fingers entered his scalp and Harry almost moaned at the sensation of slightly tugging fingers on his scalp, cleaning the rest of himself forgotten as aristocratic fingers moved in his hair and made him dizzy with arousal.

Harry tried to shake it off, he really did, but he couldn't. Finally, he grasped Draco's fingers to still them and turned around, careful not to slip on the tile. The pale face was flushed slightly as he panted silently and Harry knew that he looked the same, but far less elegant and graceful about it.

"Draco." He frowned at the fact that his voice held the quality of a moan. Draco shifted slightly closer and lowered his head. Harry tried again.

"Draco, I think you're done with my hair." There. That was better. At least he got the sentence out that time.

"Yes, I think so too." The blond leaned closer and insecurity flooded Harry. Draco was just trying to make him feel better, there was no way that the blond could like him the same way. Harry bit his lip and looked at the tiles on the wall beside them before looking back. Draco had his face turned slightly away and Harry dropped Draco's fingers and framed the pale face with his hands instead and brought Draco's eyes toward him.

Warmth filled his chest as he pulled Draco's face down and leaned onto his tiptoes to press their lips together. He moved his lips over the other ones slowly, he didn't want Draco to know how inexperienced he actually was. After a minute he pulled away and looked into Draco's eyes. Even if Draco would never like him as much as he liked the blond, he had that kiss to remember and live for.

"Just promise me you won't leave me to deal with the _rabidus_ on my own and I'll go ahead and let you finish showering on your own." He stated simply, not moving. Draco's eyes widened as they studied his face. He must have seen something there that Harry didn't know was showing for he grabbed Harry's hands and lightly kissed the knuckles.

"I will never leave you alone with the _rabidus_ or anything else ever again."

"You don't have to make a promise like that-"

"But I want to. You have no idea how much you mean to me."

"Draco-" This time it was Draco's lips that cut him off. The taller teen pulled away after a second though and looked at him with something shining in his eyes that Harry was afraid to read.

"Just, stop talking, for a minute Harry."

Harry nibbled on his bottom lip for a minute before he decided to step onto the already frail branch and hope that he was caught if the branch broke.

"Only if you kiss me again." The words came out in a rush and Harry refused to look at Draco. It took the blond a long minute to reply and Harry's heart had hit his stomach when Draco chuckled quietly and caught him as the branch broke.

"All you have to do is ask." And with that he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and cradled his face with the other. Harry's eyes closed as their lips pressed together.

It was evident that Draco had far more experience than Harry did, but at that moment he didn't care. He would ask the Malfoy heir about that later, preferably when he didn't have a tongue lavishing his mouth until his knees went weak. A moan escaped his mouth and he flushed in embarrassment, but if the way Draco only became more enthusiastic about it was anything to go by than he didn't really care what noises Harry made.

The kiss slowly become more heated and eventually Harry wanted more. He couldn't explain the craving like he wanted to, all he knew was that it was there and it wasn't about to leave him alone. So, to appease it, of course, he slowly slid his hand down Draco's chest and stalled it right above his groin. The hand that had been on his face followed the same path down Harry's chest and Draco pulled away.

"Once you start, you can't go back, I hope you know this." His voice was barely louder than a murmur, but Harry felt his cock twitch at the sound.

"I know." And with that, he slung an arm around Draco's neck, pressed their lips together, and grasped the surprisingly large dick with his hand and started to move his fist slowly.

It was, well, maybe not smooth, but than again neither was his, but it was soft, like velvet. The feel of another's cock in his hand sent a rush of adrenaline through his body. If he wasn't sure about his sexuality before, this changed everything for him. He relaxed his body and went with the flow.

Draco littered kisses up and down his jawline, one hand trailing up and down his back, lingering over scars that Harry would rather forget about, while his other hand pumped Harry's cock.

This was definitely something that Harry would never forget, as they brought each other to release and then later on fell asleep curled around each other, this feeling of warmth, love, security, and pure happiness combined. If Draco ever left him alone, that sensation alone, that mixed drink, would keep the _rabidus_ and nightmares at bay.

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP

3,566 words and over seven pages. WOOT! I rock!

Again, I apologize for the late update. Sadly, they're only going to go slower. School starts up Thursday, I'll let ya'll know my schedule, but so far I'm taking French _and_ Latin. Double WOOT!

Thanks for all the reviews, till next time!

Midnight Out.


	10. Mater

Dislcaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that right belongs to JK Rowling and her affiliates

Mater is Latin for Mother. My classes are already coming in handy!

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Ten**

**Mater**

The only sounds that filled the large study that overlooked the Rose Garden was the flipping of texts and slight breathing. Draco glanced at Harry, who was sitting on a windowsill with the breeze lifting strands of his hair. It had been a week since he, Hermione, and Lupin had returned and after that first night, which Draco still looked back on in wonder and amazement, Harry had seemed to pull into himself, shutting everyone out and only reading books that he could find on Horcruxes and the _Rabidi_. Every night he went to bed later and later, and Draco could tell that he was becoming steadily more and more frustrated.

He was at his wits end. Everything he tried had yet to work on calming the smaller boy. It was fucking infuriating him!

Luckily, a hissing whisper caught his attention before he ground his teeth to fine, pearl colored dust.

"What pulls you apart also pulls you together." Draco looked down at the animated snake as it traveled up his sleeve and to his shoulder to wind sinuously around and his neck in slow movements, tickling the sensitive skin with its forked, marble tongue.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He saw Harry turn his head slightly in his direction.

"It means what it means, Young Malfoy." The snake chuckled sibilantly and Draco resisted the urge to toss it out the window.

"Is there a particular reason you woke up?"

"Your soon-to-be mate," Draco flushed slightly, "Smells wrong and you have not yet noticed. I am disappointed." The blond looked at Harry and frowned. Now that the snake mentioned it, he did look a little off...

"Harry, are you alright?" Harry looked up suddenly and forced a grin. Draco's frown deepened.

"I'm fine."

"Now, why do I doubt that?" The smaller teen's mouth quirked into a smile at that and Draco just raised an eyebrow. Harry finally sighed and shook his head calmly, small grin still in place.

"I'm just feeling a bit uncomfortable about being surrounded by four walls, that's all."

Draco nodded and returned to the letter he was writing to his legal advisor, one of his mother's friends. The quill never touched the parchment as the door suddenly flew open to reveal an enraged Hermione Granger who strode in without any noticeable thought and immediately began to rant without pause. Weasley stood behind her and shrugged helplessly at their apparent confusion.

"I can't believe his audacity! I would think that with age came _some_ wisdom, and he is one of the oldest wizards alive! How could this be?!" She shrieked once, pulling at her hair and stomping her foot in a childish, and completely uncharacteristic, move.

"Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously as he moved from his perch and to right next to Draco's chair, the closest he had consciously been all week.

"He shouldn't be doing something like that! To think that we've admired him for so many years! Listened to him for Merlin's what reasons!" Hermione stomped her foot again and began to take several deep calming breaths.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Harry asked again and Draco grinned at the obvious fear of Granger that made the already small voice tremble.

"Professor Dumbledore is a conniving fool! That's what!"

The room fell quiet, the only noise was Granger's heavy breathing as she shook where she stood. Weasley's jaw hit his chest and Draco could feel the surprise emanating off of Harry.

"What do you mean by that, Granger?" He leaned back in his seat, setting his quill down on the desk slowly. She huffed at having to explain herself and Draco saw an amused grin flash across Weasley's face before receding back into grave sobriety.

"I mean that Professor Dumbledore had no right to put Harry with his aunt and uncle!" Draco felt more than heard Harry's light gasp of surprise and shock. He didn't hesitate to reach over his shoulder to lay a hand on the fist that was clenched on the back of his chair.

"How do you know this?" He snapped at her and Granger tapped her foot in time with her following words. Weasley took a seat and listened, or did something that looked like that.

"Miss Willowcry gave me some of her people to work with me and I set them to look for information on that front. At first nothing came up, until one of them owled me a parchment that listed Ministry Code Chapter Nine Article Three Paragraph Eighteen, also named Amendment 257, 'The Ministry shall decide who to place an orphaned child with and to keep them from Non-magic relatives unless no other course is available.' That's the simplified version, of course. It was passed in 1358 after Ocella Sundance was denied access to her halfblood heritage due to her muggle grandfather's morbid fear of anything even relating to the supernatural, and resulted in a large display of untamed magic that killed twenty-seven muggles, along with Ocella and her grandfather, when she was sixteen years old." Granger collapsed into a chair, panting.

The room fell into silence and Draco stared unseeing at the top of his desk. Why would Dumbledore do something of that magnitude? Had he knowingly manipulated the law, or had everyone just been to jubilant at the apparent defeat of Voldemort that they did not care where baby Harry was placed? Draco knew for a fact that many wizarding families, several pureblooded as well as a matter of fact, would have been willing to take their savior in, if his living family was proven to be unsuited to the task.

"'Mione, why were you even looking that up to begin with?" Ron's question startled him and he looked up to see a crease in the redheads brow.

"Weasley has a good question, why were you researching anything along those lines?" Granger sighed

"Mr. Evans, Harry's grandfather mentioned something about his wizarding attorneys not being able to do a thing. I wanted to see if there was a reason for that." At this point she shrugged hopelessly before continuing.

"It appears as if there was no reason for Harry to go to the Dursley's when he should have been placed with his grandparents. The law is very clear about that, at least. Dumbledore had to have pulled strings so that he could control where Harry went. I just wish I could figure out why."

"He wanted me to have a similar upbringing as Tom Riddle." Harry's voice nearly broke at the end of that and Granger frowned, eye's furrowing as she reached for the knowledge readily available in her head, information that Draco had as well.

"Voldemort grew up in an orphanage, where he wasn't cared for or taken care of correctly."

"Draco's right. That's where he learned to rule with fear and an iron fist. Dumbledore must have known that the Dursley's would act as they had, or he wouldn't have put me there." The bushy haired girl sighed lightly.

"Wait, you're all saying that Dumbledore willingly put Harry into a home where he wouldn't even be fed half the time?"

"Yes, Ron. That's what we're saying," She stood up and headed to the door, "I'm going to see if Miss Willowcry's people can see if there is anything to that statement other than conjecture." The door shut behind her and Weasley looked at them with a frown on his face.

"Dumbledore couldn't be manipulating things like that, or Fawkes wouldn't have remained with him."

"But Fawkes did leave him, he's with Draco now."

"Yes, up in the owlery with the birds. How long he will remain with me is the question, and why he didn't leave long ago."

"Until we have more proof, we can't decide on anything. Weasley, go help Granger with her research."

Weasley made a face but willingly got up and left at a brisk walk. Harry shook his head and slowly returned to his spot on the windowsill.

"This still doesn't make any sense." He muttered, and even to Draco it sounded plaintive.

"I doubt it will for a while, it might never make sense. The old man has been senile since our second year, maybe even longer," The blond shook his head and slowly stood up, inconspicuously stretching the muscles in his back as he did so, "The question now is whether or not we tell your godfather and grandparents."

"Sirius would react badly, so that's out of the question. Grandfather and Grandmother would try to face him down in court and Dumbledore has too much power for that to be effective," He tilted his head at Draco's incredulous gaze and spoke irritably, "What?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Draco smiled almost invisibly.

"Is it to difficult to believe that I might think along the same thought pattern as you?" The raven haired male glared impressively while he huffed and crossed his arms.

"Yes, to be completely honest."

"Oh, and why is that?" Draco could feel the irritation rolling off of Harry in waves and he did not hesitate to step forward and wrap his arms around the smaller teen. Harry relaxed instantly and curled up slightly against his chest.

"Because before this summer I did not think that it was possible for you to."

"That's because you didn't get to know me."

"And I missed out on a lot." He admitted quietly, resting his chin on the dark locks and looking out into the garden.

They fell quiet then, with nothing other than the birdsong in the trees outside to fill the air with sound. The sunlight fell on them and warmed Draco's face as he held Harry, an emotion welling in his chest that he could not quite explain, not even sure if he wanted to try to define it.

"Draco," A musical lilting came from the doorway and Draco's heart sped up, "The house-elves told me to look for you here."

"Mother." He said quietly.

Harry heard the breathy quality of Draco's voice and froze himself. Narcissa Malfoy had returned to the manor. He glanced up at Draco, noted that he looked like he was torn between running to his mothers arms and remaining where he was. Harry made the decision for him and slipped out the window and onto the balcony.

"I'll go fly my broom." He mouthed with a gentle smile and walked down the stairs and onto the quidditch field that had been built by the House Elves for them to play on. He grabbed his broom out of the shed and mounted, easily flying up in a spiraling motion. The _Rabidus _hopefully wouldn't bother him for a while if he was outside, he would give Draco the privacy he needed.

Harry didn't need to be there when Draco saw his mother for the first time in months. For one it wasn't his place, for another he didn't know how Narcissa would react when she saw him in the manor, especially the way they had been. She might not approve of her husband because he had become a Death Eater, but Harry wasn't too sure that she would take kindly to him being there in the first place. Some things were better left as they stood.

The wind rushed through his hair as he came to a sudden stop. The sun was setting in the distance and the house-elf assigned to watch him would be looking for him anytime now for dinner.

But he didn't want to go in, not yet. The breeze whistled through his hair and he was relishing the feel of being back on a broom after so long of being bound to the cold, hard ground. This was something that the others could never understand, not even Ron, the one who had been his friend for years.

Well, that and he was just stalling for time because he didn't want to go back in and possibly see Mrs. Malfoy again. Lucius may be in Azkaban, and her son might seem to have a fondness for Harry, but she was still, in all likelihood, the head of the family, now that her husband was cut off. Although some families sent their bloodline inheritances through the male line only, something that Hermione had complained about relentlessly for weeks.

That didn't change the fact that she might not take kindly to Harry spending any time with her son, sleeping in his bed...

Harry groaned and buried his head in his hands. The full moon was a little less than a week away and the _Rabidus_ in the back of his head was snarling louder by the day and Harry was doing his best to make sure that no one noticed. Was this how Remus felt? Constantly harassed and left without a moment alone? How he had dealt with it for years, without breaking under the strain, Harry would never know. As it was, the creature in his mind refused to relent and give him peace. Normally, it was a yelling in his head that he could hardly ignore, it only calmed down in Draco's presence, an anomaly that was constantly baffling Hermione.

Harry wasn't sure for how much longer that he would be able to deal with it. He wasn't cut out to harbor a beast inside his head, forever snarling at him. At least Remus had some sort of temporary cure for the werewolf that he unwillingly harbored.

He glanced up as a flash of phoenix fire from the owlery caught him by surprise.

Fire.....

_...It was everywhere, burning everything in sight. A high, cold laugh reverberated off of the surrounding, blazing walls._

_In the distance something fell with a resounding crash._

His head, it felt like it was being torn in two as he slipped off of his broom and went falling...

_....Flying out of the burning house, Voldemort laughed again. Nagini slithered on the ground beneath frightened wizards and muggles alike, biting who ever caught her fancy._

_Voldemort didn't care! This was what he had dreamed of for so long! For ten long, hard years he had struggled, and he now had what he wanted! Muggles running in fear at the sight of him, wizards, such cowardly wizards, swearing their undieing allegiance to him as their houses burned in front of and around them._

_A baby's scream rent the air and Voldemort smiled._

...The wind whistled past Harry's face, but he didn't know. All he could register was that his head wouldn't stop hurting, the beast in his head wouldn't stop screaming.

"_Kill them all." He stated, for once happy with his lot._

"_Even the ones who want to join us, my Lord?"_

"_Every single one of them, Mulciber." A grin spread across his face as adrenaline pumped through his veins with every beat of his invincible heart._

"_Yes, my Lord."_

_This was what he was meant to do...._

He was Harry Potter! Voldemort could not enter his mind!

_With a wave of his wand, and with a softly, almost lovingly spoken words, an eerie glow became to grow over the town square._

"_Morsmordre!"_

He was Harry Potter!

_The fountain erupted. He grinned again as his Death Eaters did his bidding._

Not Voldemort!

_Voldemort had struck the first blow of the war._

_The war that he was going to win._

**DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP**

2,556 words. Almost at my usual standard.

Thanks for reviewing everyone, and sorry for the erratic updates.

Love,

Midnight


	11. Fight or Flight

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own Aurora Willowcry.

Notes: This chapter was hell to write. It's going to be completely in Draco's POV. Also, as in Golden Boy, the story is picking up in this chapter.

**Angels at Midnight**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Fight or Flight**

"Mother." Draco looked at the woman who gazed at him from across his study. Narcissa Malfoy had changed during her sojourn to the villa in France. Her skin was lightly tanned and the exposure to the sun had darkened the auburn streaks in her hair and it curled lightly at the bottom as it fell in soft waves. Lucius had never allowed anything of the sort while he was free, something about it being against the Malfoy reputation for her hair to be anything but platinum blond and straight.

"Draco," Her face broke into a dazzling smile and she swept across the room and gathered him in her arms, "How has my only son been?"

"Mother, you've only been gone a little over a year." Draco rolled his eyes but returned her hug all the same.

"And yet it feels like it has been forever." A grin spread on his face slowly as he took in her changed appearance.

"You look healthier."

"I feel healthier-and happier. Harry Potter putting your father in jail was most likely the best thing that could ever happen to this family."

"About Harry Potter...." He stepped out of her embrace, sitting in his chair and she sat down across from him without hesitation.

"He is here, I know. I met that delightful muggleborn friend of his on my way here. She seemed anxious and a little angry about something when I asked her where you were and rushed off as soon as she told me." His mother waved her hand flippantly.

"So you don't care?" Draco couldn't stop the shock that spread across his face rapidly and his mother chuckled happily, eyes shining with warmth.

"Why would I? As I just said, he was the best thing that could have happened and I'm overjoyed that you and him seem so close, if that look on your face is anything to go by."

Draco could only blink as she chuckled again and summoned a house-elf. Gone was the cold woman that his father had created to honor the Malfoy name, and the mother he had grown up remembering only vaguely now sat across from him as she chattered happily about France and sipped tea as if she had never been gone in the first place. Eventually he could feel a gentle smile spread across his face.

"And the beaches, Draco! We must go to some of them as soon as this unpleasantness is over and done with. I'm sure your Harry would love them." With another grin she stood and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked hesitantly. She shot another grin over her shoulder again and turned around in the middle of the room.

"To meet-"

"Cousin!"

Sirius Black burst into the room and embraced Narcissa, twirling her in the air as they laughed uncontrollably.

"Sirius Black, I didn't know you were here!" She exclaimed breathlessly when he finally set her down and stepped back to look at each other better.

"So is Remy, you remember him?"

"Of course I remember him! How could anyone ever forget him?" She slapped his arm lightly and resumed her seat, "Meeting Harry Potter on cordial terms can wait until I've caught up with my cousin and his lover." The last was directed at the werewolf who walked calmly into the room, a small smile on his face as he went to lean on the windowsill, strain visible on his face from keeping the wolf at bay this close to the full moon.

They began talking happily to each other and Draco nearly jumped out of his seat when Remus tapped his shoulder, a worried frown on his face.

"Yes, Remus?"

"Where is Harry?" He asked quietly and Draco couldn't help but frown at him in return.

"He's at the Quidditch Pitch. He wanted to go fly his broom for a little bit." Remus bit his bottom lip for a moment and reluctantly nodded.

"He shouldn't be alone for too long, though." Draco nodded solemnly.

"I was going to go out to get him in a little while. He needs to eat something, and now that I look at you, you do as well." Remus grinned sheepishly.

"It's because of the yelling in the back of our minds. It destroys our appetite and makes us nauseous at the thought of food." Draco nodded, mentally redoing the menu for lunch and dinner for the next week or so. Breakfast was a simple matter, porridge and toast for everyone in support of the diet.

"Alright. I'll tell the house-elves that. Make sure they understand your needs." Draco nodded decisively. Remus sent him a grin and a rather raucous laugh from Sirius caught their attention.

"You told him that!?" With another laugh he promptly fell to the floor and rolled around. Draco's mother only smiled smugly and buffed her fingernails against her robes.

"What did you tell who?" Draco asked warily and glanced at Harry's godfather with a grimace.

"I told your father that his rules no longer applied to us since he was now imprisoned, and if he ever got out to never talk to either of us, because I had him removed from all Malfoy documents and put them in your name." Draco sighed and rubbed his temple, suddenly remembering hazy stories about how much of an attitude his mother had before she had been signed into an arranged marriage with Lucius.

It was a problem anyone had who had with a drop of Black in their blood. Even Draco had not escaped the horrifying legacy when he was a teen.

"Mother, I love you, but you must learn to control that temper." She only grinned at him and Draco sighed as a flash of fire occurred in the corner of his eye. He turned to look at the source of it when the corroded mark on his arm suddenly started burning and Draco could only scream incoherently as he fell to the floor, staring incomprehensibly at the green acid slowly dripping down his hand and burning a hole in the carpet.

It was times like this that he wished that Severus hadn't received the Kiss.

" DRACO! WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY SON?!" Draco tried to raise his head and smile at his mother, tell her that everything was alright but darkness was slowly eating at the edges of his vision.

A flare of brightness over his arm caught his attention and he could only stare in wonder at Fawkes as the phoenix tilted his head over the bubbling, hissing flesh and allowed two tears to roll down his feathers and off the tip of his beak, landing in the exact center of the wound.

The pain stopped instantly and he barely noticed that Sirius was holding a vial under the flow of acid. After a minute he was able to blink and sit up slowly in his mother's arms.

"Draco? Are you alright?" Came the worried question from several directions and Draco looked into the worried faces of Hermione and Ron.

"I'm fine." He looked at wonder at his barely scarred arm, touching the flesh gently to see if it was real or not.

It only seriously hurt like that when Voldemort summoned all the Death Eaters using the mark. That only happened when he needed them for something like...

Realization hit him like a bolt of lightening.

"HARRY!" Draco darted up to look out the window as he saw a vague form start to fall from the sky and plummet to the ground and pick up speed. He didn't have to say a word as Remus darted out onto the balcony through the same window that Harry had used, using the speed that came with his curse. Sirius wasn't far behind as shifted into his animagus form mid-step and rushed after his life-partner.

Draco stood immobile for several long seconds as he watched as them sped across the grounds, only a blur as they moved. It took the snake coming to life around his neck and nipping him on the chin to stir him from the terror he felt coursing through him. He turned around and without pause summoned his broom and gave the two remaining in the room orders, doing the only thing he could think of to do.

"Write a note to Dumbledore, tell them that there's been an attack somewhere, or something. Harry will know more details. Use Fawkes to make sure it gets there. Tell him we'll be going to the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts," They nodded and Hermione started to scribble the note as Ron let Fawkes land on his arm. Draco looked at his mother apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mother. Can you accompany them to Hogwarts using the floo?" He didn't wait for a response, instead jumping onto his broom and flying out the window. It didn't take him long to find the two adults and unconscious Savior. Draco paused at the sight of the blood running down a wan face and into the closed green eyes.

Dread filled him, along with an iron determination and rage that boiled through his veins. He grabbed their shoulders, ignored Sirius tear streaked face and Remus's shocked one, and Apparated them all to the edge of Hogwarts grounds, never getting off of the broom. Remus handed Harry to Draco without a word and Draco didn't question it as he took off flying to the castle, them not far behind.

Harry laid unresponsive in his arms and Draco could only speed up as blood seeped through his sleeve and onto his shoulder where Harry's head rested.

The others were already in the Hospital Wing and the blond jumped off the broom and onto the floor, gently lying Harry on a bed. Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and Draco didn't even turn around as the older man guided him into a seat as Madam Pomfrey bustled around the room, grabbing potions and pouring them down Harry's throat gently. Narcissa came and stood next to him, watching the bed fearfully.

"He'll be fine. He always is." Sirius didn't notice the way that his own voice broke as tears continued to roll down his face. Remus pulled him into a hug and patted his back. Ron did the same for a tearful Hermione.

It was Dumbledore that finally broke the silence, Fawkes flying into the room and landing on Draco's shoulder as the elderly man began to speak.

"What happened?"

"Voldemort." Pure acid dripped from Draco's tongue. Greener then what had landed on the floor of his study.

"The Dark Lord got onto the grounds?!" Narcissa's fingernails dug into his shoulder and he shook his head.

"No. I think he was attacking a village. The Mark on my arm burned, as it does when he summons all of the Death Eaters with a raid in mind."

"We're all lucky that he realized that, sir," Hermione spoke up from where she stood in the circle of Ron's arms, "If he hadn't noticed that then, Harry would be dead now."

"I was barely able to catch him as it is." Remus spoke softly from where he now sat next to Sirius on another bed.

Draco sighed and stood up slowly, "Someone must inform Aurora of what has happened."

"No, Draco, stay with Harry. Ron and I will go. I have papers I left at the Manor that I want to grab as well as a few books."

"Alright." Draco nodded and returned to his seat as the two headed to the floo in the office. Madam Pomfrey stepped back from the bed and sent him a worried look as he pulled the chair closer to the bed and grabbed a pale hand. Dumbledore left and his mother followed, her face set into grim lines. Remus and Sirius settled themselves onto the other bed, leaving Draco to stare at Harry.

He had no idea how long he sat there unmoving and unthinking, simply watching the raise and fall of Harry's chest. Eventually, Draco felt sleep claiming him, and he willingly went into it, fingers laced with Harry's and his head coming to rest near his hip.

His dreams were distorted and he couldn't remember them later. Sometime around midnight he darted awake at the feeling of twitching fingers. His head snapped up and he looked into Harry's embarrassed face.

"I didn't mean to wake you, but my fingers were falling asleep." He wiggled his fingers again and Draco let them go in favor of grabbing Harry's face and looking into it searchingly.

"You're alright." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes at Draco's shocked tone.

"Of course I'm bleeding awake. I wasn't going to sleep forever when I have news to tell you and the others." Draco glanced across the Hospital Wing and to where Sirius and Remus had fallen asleep, curled around each other.

"Don't worry about it just yet, wait until everyone's awake." He stated and started to gently push Harry back down. Harry growled at him, pupils narrowing as he glared at Draco. The blond immediately backed away and held up his hands. Harry automatically flushed and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but Voldemort has plans to attack Malfoy Manor at dawn."

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMHP

Now that, is a cliffie. Sorry, but I had to end it there. /sheepish grin/

Thanks for all of your support through out my story, and the wait between updates. I'm about to start seriously complaining about the lack of internet here. I love you all though!


	12. Notice

Hey, guys, sorry but this story is about to get a major revamping, so I'm going to take it down on Tuesday, November 17 indefinitely. I don't like how rushed the last chapter felt at all so I'm going to start from the beginning and work on it as soon as Golden Boy is done. I am NOT going to abandon it, I am just displeased with it and the fact it is so far from my original vision.

If you want to contact me, look for Mana Midnight on Gaia Online or just email me directly.

I sincerely apologize.

Mana Midnight


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